


Wings of Cerulean

by Blackfyre_Phoenix



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Duel Monsters, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 118,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25875793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackfyre_Phoenix/pseuds/Blackfyre_Phoenix
Summary: (A/U) Alice Fenix just wanted to study designing holograms at Kaiba Corp. Instead, she finds herself whisked away to Duel Academy to follow in her older sister's footsteps and be a pro duelist. But as soon as she lands, she's ambushed by a group of thugs who wish to take her two rarest cards. And they are not keen on asking politely. What kind of place is this?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Fresh Meat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Raina921](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raina921/gifts).



**A/N: Hey everybody! Just a little note. This is AU. Very, very, AU. Even though it's GX, there are going to be Xyz, Links, you name it. I just can't write a duel without my favorite monsters XD. It's a story with a new world, a new academy, new monsters, and new characters. Of course, I'll do my absolute best to keep the GX character's decks similar to what they had in the show though. Deep down, I've always wanted to see Jaden use the Xtra Heroes. They are just too cool!** **This is my first ever fanfic. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

_Dear, Mom_

_Well, I did it. I was able to get my diploma and I'll be on my way to Duel Academy where I'll learn to be a pro duelist like Sara. I called her to tell her the news, but naturally, she's not responding. Too busy with the league I suppose._

_I don't mind, I'm too happy to care if she answers or not. Obelisk Blue just like I promised. I wish dad were here to see this day, but I know deep down he's smiling at me from Heaven and cheering me on with that ridiculous song of his. Remember that bracelet he gave me for my birthday with my Sacred Phoenix cards? Don't worry, I didn't lose it. I carry it with me always. He said it would bring me good luck and so far it hasn't let me down. Earlier today, I decided to head to the Kaiba Dome to see the entrance exams. They say that lots of surprises happen there. Well, mom, surprised I was._

_A boy came in really late. And I mean late. They were just about to close the exams. So as punishment for his tardiness he was challenged by that teacher Sara warned me about. The one who kept sucking up to her while she was studying at the academy. Dr. Crowler. Sara wasn't kidding when she said he was very scary-looking. She also says he's a gentleman when you get to know him, but I guess only time will tell. For now, he doesn't seem that way to me. From where I was, I could see the hatred in his eyes. He was so determined to take the boy out and keep him from coming to school._

_He wanted to show all the new students what real dueling was all about by sticking it to the boy. Jaden was his name. In no time at all, Crowler summoned that legendary monster of his. Ancient Gear Golem. Mama! They weren't kidding about that new Solid Vision Technology the school has. My God, the creature was so real! You can see bits of metal fall from its arms, the machinations inside of him whirred, and he let out this horrible sound l can only describe as worse than what the Tripods in War of the Worlds sounded like!_

_You and those programmers do a scary job designing these things. That's just a little too real for me. It makes me nervous because I'm sure I might face so much worse once I'm at school._

_Anyway, the duel didn't go in Crowler's favor. Jaden beat him with this super cool monster. First, he activated a field spell or something that transformed the arena into a city at night. Then he fusion summoned an Elemental HERO called Flame Wingman. The field gave the HERO an ATK point boost that gave him enough power to beat that horrible Ancient Gear Golem. I can see why Sammy likes them so much. I took lots of pictures for him. I'll be sure to send them to him before I go to bed. I have a big day tomorrow mom. I'll write to you every day and I can't wait to see you over Christmas Break. I'm sure I'll have lots of stories to tell. Tell Sammy I miss him a lot. Wish me luck_

_Love_

_Alice_

* * *

Alice Fenix was awakened by a sudden jolt of turbulence. "Ouch!" She bumped her head against the window. Outside, the glass was splashed with raindrops and she saw nothing but storm clouds enveloping the Kaiba Corp luxury Osprey like a veil of smoke, curtaining the world in pastels of gray, white, and black. Flashes of lightning illuminated the clouds and were followed by a light clap of lightning, drowned out by the thick walls of the vehicle. Despite how safe she was in the helicopter, a lightning storm was the last thing she needed right now.

"Not up here," she thought.

She pulled the blue curtain shut to avoid looking at the dreary sight and sunk into her seat. She checked her watch. It was twenty past one, meaning she had been asleep for four hours. She figured they were somewhere over the ocean by now and Duel Academy was close. Thunder rumbled outside again making her uneasy.

"Oh, why couldn't I have been asleep a little while longer?"

Another flash of lightning. This one was close. Alice gasped and slapped both hands over her ears, bracing for impact. BOOM! Thunder exploded close by, causing a few of the younger students to scream and a few others to whoop with delight. A little boy in the back was sobbing, crying for his mommy. Alice knew who he was. He was Evan (from Duel Links).

How he made it into Duel Academy was nothing short of a miracle. He dueled so poorly in his exam duel, summoning nothing but weak vanilla monsters from packs such as Metal Raiders and Spell Ruler. Had it not been for the Mirror Force card he played, he wouldn't have been able to save his monsters, which he later used as tributes to summon a powerful fairy named Wingweaver. Without her, he wouldn't have won.

Perhaps he had some skill, Alice thought after the duel. Only she later learned that the Mirror Force card was the only rare card he had in his deck and that it was given to him by his sister, who was rumored to be an Obelisk Blue student. No doubt the poor guy had some big shoes to fill if those rumors were true. Alice looked back at him from behind her seat. He was quivering as though he were out in the cold. And she spotted a very pitiful sight. The deck case he had strapped to his belt had a plastic gold plaque in the front of the deck. And it read...

_**Happy Birthday, Snookums!** _

_**Love Grandma!** _

Ouch. That had to be embarrassing. Well, if a newbie could beat a Duel Academy professor and his 3000 ATK monster, she supposed anything could happen in the exam duels.

The other students didn't seem to mind the storm at all. They were walking about despite the Osprey was shaking like crazy. Even though the rotors were loud, the sound of laughter and excited chatter could still be heard. Someone was playing pop music in the front seat. There was a group huddling around a young man's laptop watching the duel with Yugi Muto against a duelist named Diva during the unveiling of the new Generation 3 Duel Disks and the brand new Solid Vision Technology, which was going to enrichen the experience of the game.

"Did any of you guys hear about that kid who beat Crowler?"

"Yeah, I was there! His Elemental HERO was so beast!"

"Ha! He better watch out! I'm going to take him down no sweat!"

The Osprey cleared out of the clouds half an hour later and soared over an island with a multitude of biomes. The aircraft soared over wetlands, fields of red flowers, fjords with dozens of windmills, dense jungles leading to lively estuaries, and snow-capped mountains. The Osprey lowered until it flew directly over the jungle. Alice pressed her face against the glass when she saw flamingos flying right beside her over a river down below. This was like no other place on earth, that's for sure. It was like a paradise.

Finally, the Osprey reached the northern tip of the island where the academy and the buildings to house the students were located. This was it. Alice was finally in her home away from home. Duel Academy. When she saw the dozens of towers made of glass and steel, she began to grow puny and overwhelmed. Those were some mighty big facilities. School? This place looked like a city. She raised the carrying handle from her hard suitcase and pulled it toward a guard dressed in enough tactical gear to make him look like a soldier from Delta Force. His rifle was all dressed up with a variety of attachments as if he was about to go raid a warehouse full of bad guys.

Alice was intimidated by his presence, but she needed to know where to go. She stepped up to him and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me. Uh, do you know the way to the Obelisk Blue Girls..."

The guard pointed toward the mountains. "Into the forest, cross the lake, and make a left. Just follow the signs." His radio buzzed with com chatter.

"Uh...thank you." Alice was quite stunned by how rude he was. She power walked to get as far away from the soldier as she could. As she went towards the path into the jungle, she noticed more soldiers walking by, weapons drawn as if they were guarding a military base. Alice looked away from them and kept going, wondering why the academy needed so much security.

She noticed the holographic signs pointing the way towards the girls' dorm. It looked like she had a long way to go before she got there but if she followed the concrete path through the jungle, she had a feeling she would get there before the storm reached them. She heard something moving out in the trees. Monkeys. They hooted as they jumped from vine to vine. One even lept onto a branch and stood there watching Alice. She smiled at it and continued her journey to the dorms.

Moments later, she saw a path leading into a clearing in the jungle. There was some sort of commotion going on over there. Curious, Alice strayed off the main road and walked into the clearing. There were some duels going on there already. Wooden stands were packed with students, holding up handfuls of cash as they were making bets on who would win.

oddly enough, the scared boy from the Osprey, Evan was in a duel. He was up against a boy from Obelisk Blue who had him in the ropes. Evan had 500 Life Points left and his Obelisk Blue opponent still had all 4000 of his. He didn't even take a hit. On his field, he had a warrior monster called Knight of the Red Lotus and a Valkyrian Knight.

All Evan had was an Axe Raider monster and a Battle Warrior. Vanilla monsters! Alice would have never thought anyone still used those. The crowd was getting restless. They taunted Evan and booed him, egging him on to make a play. But he was just too nervous.

"Well, Snookums, are you gonna make your move? Or are you just going to run back to mommy to have your diaper changed?"

"I...I can beat you!" Evan said. "Come on deck, I really need you to come through for me! I draw. Hey, I did it. I use the spell, Ax of Despair. Now my spell increases my Ax Raider's attack by 1000!"

Ax Raider's default ax switched for one that looked like it was forged in the realm of shadow. He growled as a dark aura flowed around his body. His points reached 2700, causing many in the crowd to gasp in awe.

"Awesome! He's more powerful than your knight! Go, Ax Raider! Attack his monster."

"You fell right for my trap, scrub! I activate Ring of Destruction! This card will destroy your monster and we take damage equal to his attack points. Correction, you just take the damage. With my spell card, Ring of Defense, my Life Points will be safe!"

"HEY!" Evan shouted.

Ax Raider tried his hardest to pull the Ring of Destruction off his neck, but it was too late. The pins on the grenades popped off and then they exploded, blasting Evan with incredible damage, reducing his Life Points to 0.

The Obelisk Blue laughed. "Aww, what wrong, baby? You gonna cry? That's what you get for thinking you could play with us here in the big leagues. Tell you what, why don't you have a duel against you, so that way when you lose, it'll be to yourself." He walked away with two giggling girls and disappeared into the jungle.

Alice was appalled by the other player's behavior. "Man, talk about no respect." She wanted to talk to Evan, but he was already sulking away to get his things and go to his dorm in the swamps with the other losers.

Just then an explosion from a nearby field got Alice's attention. She couldn't believe it. It was the boy who beat Crowler. He was in the middle of a duel and it didn't look good for him.

The Dragonic Knight raised his sword and cut a monster named Elemental HERO Stratos in half. The attack dealt 1ooo points of damage to the boy named Jaden, who was in Slifer Red, the lowest ranking dorm in Duel Academy.

"Listen up, Jaden!" shouted Chazz, who was an Obelisk Blue student. "You don't have what it takes to be here. I've got the power of Dragonic Knight on my side. You've got nothing. You're just a stepping stone on my way to the top. After you're out of the way, there's no stopping me. I, Chazz Princeton, will be the Duel King!"

**Chazz - 4000 LP**

**Jaden- 3000LP**

Jaden let out a friendly laugh. "Well, Chazz, you're true to your reputation. You're good. But not good enough! I activate my face-down card! HERO Signal! Now, I special summon, Elemental HERO Avian!"

"Hmph!" Chazz snarled. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

Jaden drew. "Sweet! I activate the spell card, Polymerization! Now, I fuse together Avian and Blazeman! Swirl up a storm! Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"

Chazz sneered. "So? Our monsters are evenly matched!"

"Not for long they're not! Here's Great Tornado's special ability! Downburst! Now, your monster loses half of its attack points! Your Dragonic Knight is history, Chazz!"

Great Tornado flew up and raised his fist. He the rocketed towards Dragonic Knight and smashed him in the chest.

Chazz braced for impact. "ARRGH!" Solid Vision technology was too strong. Chazz rubbed his chest. The extra damage from Great Tornado's attack stung him awfully, but he dug the soles of his boots to the ground and stood calm, fighting through it.

His Life Points dropped to 2500.

Jaden balled his fist victoriously. "How'd you like that, Chazz?"

"Celebrating already? I don't think so, Jaden! I activate my trap, Reverse-Time! Now our monsters are returned to the way they were. Great Tornado is eliminated from the game instead of going to the Graveyard."

Jaden saw a portal rip open above Great Tornado. It swallowed him up and then Blazeman and Avian returned to the field as if they never fused together to make the powerful HERO who stood there earlier.

"No! Great Tornado is gone!" shouted Jaden.

"And my Dragonic Knight returns to do battle. Revive!"

Alice covered her open mouth with her hands. "Wow! His dragon is back. And he looks ready for action! Poor Jaden. His Great Tornado didn't stand a chance against him."

"My turn!" said Chazz. "I summon Alexandrite Dragon!" Chazz tapped on the holographic card projected in front of him. The card then soared to the field and turned into a tall dragon with pebbly skin. The thousands of precious gems embedded all over its body glimmered in the sunlight peering through the jungle canopy. The dragon reared up its head and shot out glittering white flames from its mouth to intimidate Jaden.

**Dragonic Knight**

**ATK 2800**

* * *

**Alexandrite Dragon**

**ATK/2000**

****

"ATTACK WITH TWO DRAGONS" Chazz shouted.

Dragonic Dragon slashed Elemental HERO Blazeman in half. Then, Alexandrite Dragon burned Elemental HERO Avian to crisp. The double attack left Jaden with a mere 400 Life Points.

When the dust settled, Jaden looked over his arm, which he used to shield his eyes from debris. "Arrgh!...He's...strong!"

Chazz crossed his arms and scoffed, proud of the carnage he inflicted on Jaden. "You just don't get it, Jaden. You were never supposed to be here. You fail to understand that Duelists use their cards for power and for strength. But you...heh! You still see them as mere toys. A soul mate if you wanna get in deep. Well, where are your soulmates now, Jaden? I'm just one attack away from winning this duel."

"Don't get too cocky, Chazz! My monsters are just itching to get at you!"

"Bring it on you Slifer Slacker! Show me what your pitiful resistance can do! There's nothing you have that can stand up to my Dragonic Knight or my Alexandrite Dragon! Come on, impress me!"

"With pleasure! I draw! I use Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Here it comes, Chazz. I summon Winged Kurirboh!"

"You dare insult me with that little furball? Dragonic Knight! Wipe him out."

"I don't think so, Chazz! I use the spell, Transcendent Wings! Evolving Winged Kuriboh to Level 10!"

"Level…T-t-ten!"

"Now, by sacrificing himself, Winged Kuriboh Level 10 destroys all monsters on the field and deals their ATK points right back to you as damage!"

"NOOOOO!" Chazz cried.

Suddenly the holograms shut down. Soldiers from campus security marched into the jungle arena and shouted at the students to leave and go find their dorms. Now was not a time to be playing Duel Monsters. Everyone groaned but did as they were told. But none was more distraught about this intrusion than Jaden.

"WHAT!? Oh, come on! I was about to win!"

Chazz scoffed, shouldered his duffle bag and began to walk down the steps of the arena. "You lucked out, Slifer Slacker. We all know I would have won had it not been for these goons. Smell ya later."

"Aw, but I was winning!" Jaden cried. "Come on!"

"Beat it, kid!" shouted a security guard. "Now, before I go up there and bring you down myself."

One by one, the students began to leave the arena, hoping they would get to see more action tomorrow.

Alice was already ahead of them. She left as soon as she noticed the guards coming. Just as she was beginning to find her way a loud roar burst from the jungle causing Alice to freeze.

_What was that?_

There weren't lions or tigers on the island were there? That would be stupid.

Alice took a closer look at one of the tree trunks. It was moving. Then she heard a snarl. She looked up and saw a dinosaur glaring at her hungrily. She dropped her suitcase and screamed, running down the path. The trees collapsed as the prehistoric beast charged out to get her. Alice scurried up a tree like a frightened cat, hoping she could get high enough to escape the dinosaur.

She heard it snapping its jaws at her, forcing her to get up even higher and higher until she was finally at the top. It wasn't enough. The dinosaur's eyes and her eyes were locked on to one another. It looked awfully familiar. It hit her. This was no ordinary dinosaur. It was a weak Duel Monster called Tomozaurus. It was a Solid Vision hologram. Someone was playing a prank on her.

"Man, she ran away faster than the last one did," said a large-bodied boy with wild green and black hair and a round pink nose. He and his friends walked out of the jungle and gathered around Alice's suitcase. They were all wearing red uniforms with the depiction of a red dragon on their coat-of-arms. Slifer the Sky Dragon, Alice thought. Those boys were from the Slifer Red Dorm. But their accommodations were by the swamps. What were they doing all the way out here?

"I wonder what kind of cards she has in here," said the large boy.

One of his friends knelt down and tried to open it. "I guess we'll never find out, boss. This one is sealed tight with a luggage lock. We need to put in some kind of code."

"Aw, nuts! Is there any way we can break it open?"

"No worries, Boris. Once we take it back to my workshop, all her goodies will be as good as ours. Maybe we can sell them back to her."

"I don't think so!" Alice said. She was halfway down the tree. Suddenly the branch beneath her gave way and she fell down to the ground, landing hard on her butt. "Ow!"

Boris and his friends pointed and laughed at her. Alice moaned, rubbing her backside. She remembered she was being robbed and got up at once to confront the boys.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice!"

"So cry me a river girly."

One of Boris's friends sniggered. "Looks like she peed you a river, boss!"

Boris and the others burst out laughing. Alice looked at her legs and discovered she peed herself from fright. It didn't help at all that she was wearing a skirt. She gasped and crossed her legs, holding her arms down to cover her accident.

"Please, I need to change my clothes. Give me back my suitcase."

Boris flashed his large white teeth. "It's going to cost you two Ultra-Rare cards, girl."

"Why?"

"Because this here is our turf. You wanna cross through our jungle, you gotta pay up."

"I didn't know this was anybody's jungle! If anything, this is the pathway to the Obelisk Blue dorms. Why would Slifer Reds have any control here?"

"We're not just any group of Slifer Red losers!" said the shortest boy in the group. He had a tooth protruding from his upper lip. "We're the Red Crusaders."

"You've got to be kidding me?" Alice said with a blank expression on her face.

The short boy pointed at his face. "Does this look like someone who's kidding? My brother owns this part of the jungle cuz he's tough enough to deal with you stuck-up Obelisk Blues."

"I don't want to give you trouble, I really don't."

"Of course you don't," sneered Boris. "Cuz I'm a threat, so you're showing me the respect I deserve. Now, are ya gonna hand over your two rarest cards, or are you gonna have to walk to the girl's dorm like that?"

"No, but..."

"No buts or yours is about to get kicked!" Boris said. He punched his palm. "Oh, and your bracelet. It looks expensive. We'll be taking that, too."

"What? No! Take my cards, but you're not taking my bracelet. Just take what's in the suitcase and leave me alone."

All of a sudden, a Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos jumped out from a fancy-looking glyph and killed Tomozaurus with his large sword. The boys jumped back in fear, falling to the ground. Soldier of Chaos walked towards them, pointing his sword at them as they backed up and huddled against one another. A girl with strawberry blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a red bow ran down the path to Alice's aid. She wore an athletic red and black uniform consisting of a practice jacket and short shorts. The color on the jacket's lower half faded into white and then dark red with black curvy designs. She must have been part of a school team by the looks of her.

"What the hell did I tell you about showing yourself around here, Boris! Christ! The term hasn't even started and already you're making an ass of yourself!"

"Holy crap, Enora! You scared the crap out of us!" Boris shouted. "That's not a way a lady should act."

Alice stomped her foot on the ground. "You are such a hypocrite! But it was perfectly fine when you did it to me!"

"You're an Obelisk Blue! You deserve everything you get!" shouted the short boy.

Enora snapped her fingers and the Soldier of Chaos stepped closer and closer towards them. "I can't stand this kind of behavior. It's because of jackasses like you and Chazz that there's so much animosity between the dorms. Get out of here before I get my father! You guys wouldn't want the head of security to bust you before the first day, would you?"

"Yeah well, there's not much he can do to stop us. I can't wait to finally settle things with you in the ring, Enora."

Enora wasn't scared. She stood where she was, poise and calm. She crossed her arms. "You're not worthy of my time. Now get out of here and don't ever come back!"

"Come on, guys, let's bounce."

"We'll be back!"

"This ain't over, Enora!"

Enora looked at Alice and smiled. She took off her jacket and wrapped it around Alice's waist. "Come on. You need to change your clothes. Follow me. The dorm isn't that far from here." She started walking then stopped. "I'm sorry this had to happen. There's a bit of a civil war going on around here."

"What for?"

Enora tilted her head toward the mountains, telling Alice to follow her.

"Pride. Each dorm thinks they're far superior to the other despite the ranks. Ra Yellow is fairly neutral but there's a lot of bad blood between the Slifers and us Blues. You can blame idiots like Boris over there for these kinds of things. Clans have been forming left and right, each one fighting against one another to see who is the superior dorm. I have a feeling things are going to get worse now that we have the likes of Chazz Princeton in our midst. Not only a day in here and he's already shown prejudice against the other dorms. Especially towards Slifers because they're the lowest-ranking dorm in the academy. I tried to warn everyone in Obelisk Blue to stop picking on them for a long, long time now. But then Boris came to school last year and he formed his gang. They started attacking Obelisk Blue students and stealing their rarest cards after beating them in unfair handicap matches. Pfft. The other Slifers followed suit and formed gangs of their own. You'll find them here and there causing trouble, so keep your guard up. They won't strike unless you're alone."

Alice stuck close to Enora. "Are they all this terrible? Oh, I'm Alice by the way. Alice Fenix."

"Enora Chevalier. Nice to meet you, Alice. And no, some of the Slifer Reds are actually pretty nice people. Remember that kid, Jaden? The one who beat Crowler? He's in Slifer Red and so far he's pretty cool."

"You met him?"

"Uh huh. Alexis and I helped him out when he had a slight confrontation with Chazz. Such a shame he didn't make it to Obelisk Blue. He seems really talented. Oh, well. He should be okay, provided he doesn't follow Boris or the other Duel Gangs around here. But you'll find some real assholes in our dorms. It's mostly full of rich boys who've been fed with silver spoons their whole lives. Many of them feel because they're at the top, everyone else is trash. Stay away from them, you'll mostly see them playing war against the Slifers."

"Thank you. I'll try and remember that. Your uniform is quite different than the others. For a moment, I thought you were Slifer Red."

"Ha ha. No. I'm the captain of the academy's female Duel Monsters team. The Red Arrows."

"Oh, that sounds really cool. What does it take to be part of the team?"

Enora smiled. "You interested in joining?"

"Oh no, I was just wondering is all."

"Well, if you ever consider joining us, give me a text. I'll give you my number when we reach your dorm. To be part of the team, you need to have good grades. Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and you're golden. Oh, and obviously you need to have exceptional dueling skills."

"I'll work hard on my dueling that's for sure. But I'm here to be a programmer for Kaiba Corp like my mom."

"Oh, you're going to have a hand making holograms and stuff, right?"

"That's right. My mom and dad want me to be a pro duelist like my older sister, but it's not a path I want to follow really. Still, it wouldn't hurt to bolster my skills, huh?"

Enora stopped. "Hold on. Fenix? Your sister wouldn't by any chance be Sara Fenix would she?"

Alice sighed. "Yes, yes. She is."

"Well, color me intrigued Alice...I...wow! That is something else indeed. You've got some pretty big shoes to fill, huh? Oh, sorry about your father. My uncle knew him. He was a good man."

"Thank you. But Sara's shoes are something I'd rather leave unfilled. Being a pro is not what I'm interested in. Still, I figured that if I become a decent duelist, my mom could get off my back."

"Well, if you ever have a mind for it, you should really consider becoming a Red Arrow, Alice. We're a pretty competitive team and we have programs that can you get scholarships for your dream school after you're done with this place."

"Thanks for the offer. I'll consider it."

Alice saw the girls' dorm ahead. Its architecture was nothing short of breathtaking. It was a chateau built directly around the lake where a waterfall fell into. One part of it was built over a second one that poured into the bathing areas for the girls below.

"This is incredible!"

"Hey, you worked hard to be here. You've earned it. Where's your room at?"

Alice fumbled around the pockets of her denim jacket. "Uh, let's see." She found it. "Room 2100."

"Oooo, you get the underwater suites."

"Underwater suites?"

"Yeah. You get a great view of the bottom of the lake. There's lots of pretty fish living down there and the plant life is really colorful."

This, Alice couldn't wait to see. After getting registered, she followed Enora to an elevator that took them down to the rooms built at the bottom of the lake. Once the elevator doors opened they met a girl with long golden hair and brown eyes.

"Oh, Alexis!" Enora said. "This where you staying?"

Alexis smiled and dried her hair with the towel around her neck. "Yeah. Of course. Do you know what I had to do to get a room down here? Who's this? A friend of yours?"

"Oh, Alice? Yeah, she's all right. She had a little...accident when Boris and his boys gave her a scare on the way here. I'm here to help her find her room so she can freshen up."

"Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, I ran into him when I got here this morning. He wanted to take my rarest cards. But once he saw that Zane was by my side, oof, boy, he went running."

Enora rolled her eyes. "Typical. He talks big, but he's a coward deep down. See, Alice? Don't worry. They're all just pushovers."

"But mostly towards scrubs and freshmen," said Alexis. "But once you start playing like a pro, those Slifer gangs will start to back off. Show them you're not to be fucked with, and they'll show their true colors."

"I'll remember that. I want to make him pay for what he did to me. I'm not going to let that slide, trust me."

Alexis giggled. "Ooo, look at the fire in her eyes. I like this one. Can't wait to see what she's got."

After Alexis left, Alice followed Enora down the curved halls to her room. They parted ways and she went inside to shower. By the time she had finished washing, night had fallen and it was time to change into her pajamas. After she brushed her hair, she began to decorate the room. By her bed, she hung a poster of a duelist named Aster Phoenix. He was sitting on a fancy black throne with his Destiny HERO monsters roaring loudly behind him. Dreadmaster, Dogma, Dominance, and his two aces Plasma and Destiny End Dragoon.

She rubbed her hand up and down the post to unwrinkle it. When she was satisfied with how it looked, she kissed Aster on the lips, turned off the lights and snuggled up in bed. So far the journey here had been an interesting one. There were some downs along the way, ala Boris, but deep down she was excited for what tomorrow would bring.


	2. Snookums

Creepy atmosphere, groaning walls, mosquitos, and spiders. And a smelly bog in the backyard, where the outhouse and showers were located.

These are my accommodations, Evan thought.

He shivered underneath his blanket and put his pillow over his head to block the sounds outside his window. There was a tree right beside it that tapped against the glass. In the dark, the branch looked like the bony hand of a ghoul coming to take his soul.

It didn't help that at dinner, the boys gathered around the hearth at the center of the floor and told ghost stories about the island.

He heard tales about a giant that was hunting Obelisks and stealing their jackets, a hairy wildman that stalked the swamps outside, and an abandoned dorm located at the foot of the mountains that housed elite students.

 _"They say those guys were secretly meddling with the occult. The Shadow Realm and all that stuff,"_ a student said during dinner, wriggling his fingers to look spooky. " _One night, it was reported that there were strange lights coming from the dorm. When campus security went in to investigate the next morning, the dorm looked like it was attacked by a mob. When the guards went inside, they found the place covered in blood. Upstairs, they found a door that was barricaded by furniture and other stuff. The students were trying to keep something out but to no avail. Whatever 'it' was, it got them! On quiet nights, you can hear the souls of those students wander around the swamps, howling in agony, wondering why they could be so stupid to mess with Shadow Magic."_

That tale haunted Evan all through the night. He heard all sorts of strange things coming from swamp.

Howls, barks, chirps, honking, and shrieks. Deep down in his fragile little mind, he pictured those sounds to be the ghosts of the students killed in the abandoned dorm.

The Slifer Red dorm was built right in the middle of a swamp, no doubt as an insult to those who did poorly in both their exams. He thought he could hang with the boy, Jaden Yuki, but he was put in the Slifer Red facilities located at the coasts, which had much better accommodations. They were still tacky, but it beat the rundown motel here in the swamps.

He kept hearing reassurances about how the dorm wasn't a place for him to be stuck in forever. If he dueled his best and studied hard, he could find himself out of Slifer Red and into Ra Yellow. If he impressed people there, he could probably get promoted to Obelisk Blue; it wasn't an impossibility. Still, getting promoted to Obelisk Blue was easier said than done. Especially from all the way down here at the bottom of the barrel.

Evan didn't even get acquainted with the current Master Rule just yet. While everyone around him swarmed the field with powerful Link Summons and Xyz Summons and used Pendulums with ease, Ethan could barely play his old school monsters right. That defeat he suffered earlier really took a jab at the tiny bit of ego he had in him.

His arm reached out from underneath the blanket and fumbled around the side table for his phone. He accidentally knocked his lamp over. He didn't care. He had no fear of waking anyone up; nobody wanted to be roommates with him. So he had his room all to himself.

The tree branch tapped against the glass and something howled in the darkness. Evan grabbed his phone and yanked his arm back under the blanket, thinking there was something in his room that would grab it and eat it. He turned on his phone.

The bright light was on at full blast, causing him to squint. He tapped the settings icon and adjusted the brightness. He went to his gallery and ogled at the provocative pictures of all the Obelisk Blue girls he saw.

They were all very pretty and cute. He flipped around and spotted a young lady with long, auburn hair with a silk periwinkle bow on the back of her head. It was the girl who looked at him on the Osprey. Alice was her name. Alice Fenix, the younger sister of the great pro duelist Sara Fenix. He went red in the face just looking at her picture. That heart-shaped face, her glossy pink lips, and those gorgeous green eyes.

Her bust wasn't bad either, so he thought. Maybe, he thought, just maybe, one of these lovely ladies would want to be his girlfriend. If he could just manage to make a name for himself. But how? He realized he didn't have to look very far to do that.

Jaden Yuki was the talk of the school right now. He was the one everyone needed to beat.

"All right, Jaden Yuki. Tomorrow, you're going down! And I'll be out of this dump."

* * *

Her phone started blasting a cheerful ringing melody to wake her up. Alice yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She fumbled around in the dark, looking for the switch to turn on her lamp.

Finally, she found it and pressed it. The lamp turned on, it's pink shade flooded the room in a warm glow. She looked out the round window beside her bed. It was dark out there. The light of her lamp barely illuminated the grass waving eerily out there.

Alice got out of bed and did a few stretches before dressing into her academy uniform, which was quite regal and formal in design. It consisted of a blue jacket trimmed with white, and the coat-of-arms of the Obelisk Blue dorm emblazoned over the breast, a white blouse, a red tie, a black tartan skirt, and leg-length boots. Her academy Duel Disk was in the dresser along with her uniform, colored blue with white floral designs on the surface.

"Let's get this show on the road," she said, adjusting her tie in the mirror. It was a long journey to the campus. She would have taken the monorail, but the lines were long and she preferred to hoof it all the way there.

She checked her watch. "Hmm, I've got time." She saw a vendor selling meals by the path leading towards the school.

"Hello there," he said. "What can I help you with this morning?"

"I'll have some milk and a sweet bun, please."

"Of course," the vendor said. He bent down to find what she wanted and set them on the counter. "That'll be five, seventy-seven."

Alice reached into the side pocket of her backpack to find her small coin purse. She bit her lip nervously and shook her head in disdain when she realized she didn't have enough money.

"Uh, could you hold back on the milk, sir?"

The vendor smiled and rubbed his belly with a wooden spoon. "Forget it. The only reason I'm still in business on this island is because of hungry kids like you. It's okay, sweetie, it's on the house."

"Oh no, I couldn't."

"No, no, I insist. Please. You need your strength for the day ahead. And you can't duel on an empty stomach. Right?"

Alice bowed. "Thank you, sir. I owe you a big tip."

"Nonsense. Go on, skedaddle."

She took the food from the counter and waved the man goodbye. As she approached the fountain in front of the school courtyard, she saw Enora standing in front of it with Alexis, who looked like she didn't get any sleep last night. She let out a horrible yawn and quickly covered her mouth and apologized.

"Good morning," Alice said catching up to them. "Enora, I'm so glad I found you. I had your jacket cleaned up. Why don't you come by my room later and pick it up?"

Enora smiled. "Naw, you keep it."

"But it's yours."

"No, it's just a loaner I borrowed until my real one gets delivered. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I forgot my real jacket at home. Besides, I think you look nice in the one I gave you."

Alexis sighed. "Already looking for new recruits for the team, Enora?" She laughed but broke into a yawn.

"Ooo, Alexis, you don't look so good. What happened?"

"Good morning, Alice I…" She yawned again. "Ugh, sorry."

"Didn't you get any sleep last night, Alexis?"

"No, I was up late last night witnessing a really good duel."

Alice gasped. "Alexis! Isn't it against the rules to be playing that late at night?"

Alexis pressed her finger against her lips. "Shhhhhh! Not so loud! Do you want me to get busted?"

"Sorry, but it comes as quite a shock to me that someone of your reputation would be breaking rules."

"Believe me, if you were there, you would have stuck around to see it through as well. I was about to tell them off and leave, but it was such a great match."

"Who was dueling?"

"Jaden Yuki and Chazz Princeton," Enora answered. "Alexis says those two were at it again."

"Well, I can't blame them," said Alice. "Campus Security shut down their match before it could even finish. Sounds like Chazz was eager for that rematch."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I figured Chazz would be up to something. I saw him and his buddies sneaking around the quad of their dorm after I had my walk with Zane. One of them mentioned Jaden's name and I had to see what they were up to. Sure enough, they were luring him to the main arena."

"Who won?"

Alexis let out a sad sigh. "Nobody did, that's the bitch of it. Campus Security came around. Thankfully, we made it out before we got seriously busted. For a moment I thought it would go either way against Jaden and Chazz, but then Jaden showed me a card he drew before the whole thing ended. It was Monster Reborn. He had Elemental Hero Flame Wingman in the graveyard. If he had played that, the Flame Wingman would have been revived to defeat Chazz."

"He's full of surprises, that boy," said Enora. "And he's also very hard to reach. I wanted to speak with him earlier, but he was out of the dorm as soon as the rooster crowed. He sure wants to get to class."

Alexis giggled. "Class? Him? I don't think so. I'm sure Jaden's just more than eager to get himself into a duel. Knowing him, it wouldn't surprise me if he was in one."

Suddenly students began to gather a second fountain in the courtyard, one with the statue of Slifer in the center of it. Alice rushed to see what was taking place over there. A duel!

"It's him!" she whispered.

Jaden. And he was up against Evan. A blue-haired boy with small round spectacles stood behind him, trying to get Jaden to cease going through with the match.

"But Jaden, we've got class in a few minutes! Come on, we don't wanna be late."

"Chill out, Syrus, I've got this. Besides, nothing beats a good duel in the morning!"

"But why him? He's like the worst player in the Slifer Dorm!"

"Hey!" Evan shouted, pointing at Syrus furiously. But he paused.

He saw Alice standing right beside him with a surprised look on her face. Oh goodness! And she had Alexis Rhodes and the captain of the Red Arrows standing on either side of her. This was it! Now was his chance to look good for her. And possibly even make a good impression on Alexis.

"Yeah, don't insult me, pipsqueak! Just because I'm in Slifer Red doesn't mean I don't have the moves to make you groove!"

**_Crickets_ **

"Uh, never mind. You go first."

"You are something else, huh?" Jaden said. He drew.

* * *

**Jaden 4000 LP**

**Evan 4000 LP**

* * *

**Turn 1**

"Aw, sweet! I couldn't ask for a better hand. All right, Evan, it's time to get your game on! I'm throwing down two face-downs and summoning Elemental HERO Sparkman!"

Electricity snapped in front of Jaden, it then formed a warrior in blue and gold armor. He flew around in circles and then stood beside Jaden.

**Elemental HERO Sparkman**

**ATK/1600 DEF/1400**

"My turn's done!"

* * *

**Turn 2**

"My turn! I draw! HA!"

He tried to draw his card dramatically but wound up spilling a bunch of his card from the top of his deck all over the place. The other students laughed at him as he went down on the ground and scooped up his cards. He shuffled them and put them at the bottom of his deck.

"Uh, pretend that didn't happen. I use Unexpected Dai. This card allows me to summon a level four or lower Normal monster from my deck. Bow down to the beauty of my lady, Kanan the Swordmistress!"

He summoned a tall, slender female warrior in skimpy green armor which caused many of the boys in the crowd to whistle. Her skin was milky white. Her hair was chocolate brown and went down to her back. She carried a long, shiny sword in one hand and a study shield on the other.

**Kanan the Swordmistress**

**ATK/1400 DEF/1400**

"Yes. My beautiful lady will lead me to victory. Now, I will summon Ax Raider, with a devastating attack force of 1700! And I equip Kanan with this card. Black Pendant. Ha, she's stronger than your Sparkman now!"

Kanan looked down at her chest, noticing a purple glow that soon formed into a black diamond necklace. She cooed as she examined the beautiful piece of jewelry with her fingers.

**(ATK 1400 → 1900)**

"Wooo! This is easy! I attack your puny HERO with Ax Raider!"

Ax Raider held out his ax and let out a loud battle cry before he sprinted toward Sparkman.

Jaden smirked. "Easy, huh? Sorry to disappoint you, Evan, but I'm activating my trap! Check out my face-down card. Dimensional Prison!"

"That's not good for Evan," said Alexis. "Not only can Jaden stop his monster's attack, but he'll remove him from play as well."

"NO! My-my monster!" Evan cried out as a purple portal opened up in front of his Ax Raider and sent him plunging into another dimension. "You may have stopped my Ax Raider, but Lady Kanan will finish the job and take down your Sparkman!"

"YA!" Kanan shouted, lunging forward and raising her sword to attack the HERO.

"I think not!"

"You laid a trap for my lady!"

"That's right. Draining Shield! Now, Sparkman is saved from Kana's attack and I gain Life Points equal to her attack points. Thanks for the lead, bro."

"My Lady Kanan is the strongest monster on the field! She's ready for anything you throw at her!"

Jaden laughed. "I wouldn't start celebrating just yet, Evan."

* * *

**Turn 3**

"I draw! Perfect. I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic!"

A magic circle colored metallic blue formed over Jaden and from it emerged a warrior in brilliant armor colored sky blue. He had a blue surcoat and held a jagged spear in his hands. His armor appeared dull in the early morning light, but Jaden found it odd

"All right, Evan, this is the end. When Keeper of Dragon Magic is summoned to the field, I can discard a card and add Polymerization to my hand. Now, I'll reveal to you my buddy, Flame Wingman in my extra deck."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because when I do, I can summon one of his fusion materials from the grave to the field face-down. And he so happens to be Elemental HERO Avian! Now, I use Polymerization, fusing together Sparkman and Avian to create, Elemental HERO Grandmerge!"

Sparkman and Avian took to the air and jumped into a spiral that fused their souls together. The new monster looked like Sparkman but his visor and many parts of his suit were colored red. His golden armor grew bulkier and he had Avian's feathered cuffs over his wrists as well as angelic wings. He traded the electric weapons in his palms for two energy cannons that came out of his gauntlets.

**Elemental HERO Grandmerge**

**ATK/0 DEF/0**

****

Evan started to chuckle, then he burst out laughing. "So much for your HERO, Jaden! He's got no attack or defense points. He'll make good fodder for my Lady Kanan!"

"Hold on now, Evan. Now, I know he doesn't have any points at the moment, but that's where his special ability kicks in."

Evan smacked his cheek. "Special ability? Oh man, I'm starting to hate those."

"That's right. He gains attack and defense points equal to the combined original levels of the monsters I used to fusion summon him times three hundred!"

**(ATK → 2100)**

"But...but that's not fair!" Evan cried. He looked at his cards. "Come on! Come on! There must be something I can do!"

Syrus jumped up with joy. "Sorry, doesn't look like there's anything you can do! Way to play, Jay!"

Jaden held out his hand and commanded his monster to attack. "Grandmerge...attack!"

Elemental HERO Grandmerge aimed his fist at Kanan the Swordmistress. The ion cannon came out from his gauntlet, charged, and fired a ball of energy, striking her in the chest."

Evan was now wide open. "Oh no! Oh nooooo!"

"And that's not all, Evan. When Elemental HERO Grandmerge destroys a monster in battle, he can tag in a new HERO from my extra deck!"

Grandmerge vanished into a ball of light that turned into a bigger HERO. The other students held their breath and watched in anticipation, wondering what it could be.

"Appear! Elemental HERO Terra Firma!"

Something fell from the sky like a comet and smashed the ground in front of Jaden. Alice and the other students yelled, blocking the dirt and debris with their forearms or their hands.

"Another HERO?" she whispered. "Wow!"

When the dirt cleared away, there stood a very tall warrior from another world. His body was colored marble white and he had glass domes on his shoulders and head colored dark blue. He had two spikes coming out from his back.

**Elemental HERO Terra Firma**

**ATK/2800 DEF/2000**

****

"Now, that my man Terra Firma is out, I'm gonna activate this! O - Oversoul! Now, I can bring back a normal HERO from my graveyard. Rise up, Elemental HERO Sparkman! Next, Terra Firma's effect activates. I tribute Sparkman, and his attack points transfer to Terra Firma. Now that's what I call teamwork."

Sparkman turned into a bright blue aura that was absorbed into Terra Firma's body. He flexed his muscles and growled, feeling his teammate's power surge through him.

**(ATK 2800 → 4400)**

"Forty-four hundred!" Alice couldn't believe it. His attack points reached the top of the charts. Jaden's so good!"

Terra Firma pulled the spikes out of his backs. It turns out, they were the handles to two energy swords that burst as soon as he held them up for combat. Evan was the target. He dove towards him and stopped to stare him down. Then he held up his weapons.

Hmmmmmm RAAAAARRRGGG! Terra Firma performed a cross-slash attack that created a massive explosion. The trees shook violently, their leaves sprinkled the air with green and black. Birds cried out in fear as they flew away from the violence taking place. Evan was on the ground laying on his back, moaning and groaning as his Life Points fell to 0.

"And that's game!" Jaden said. "Keep practicing there, Evan. Hey, I'd be more than happy to teach you..." Suddenly the students crowded around him, asking him questions and demanding trades. "Hey! Ouch, that's my foot! Hey, watch it!"

"No!" Alice cried. She lost her chance to speak to him again. She found herself getting pushed farther and farther to the back of the crowd. She tried to fight back, but it was like being pushed against a powerful current. Soon, Jaden was out of sight. Through a few bodies, she saw Syrus pulling him away to safety. They were gone.

"Come on, Alice," Alexis called. "Let's head to class. We don't want to be late."

Alice noticed Evan was on the ground, not even bothering to pick himself up.

"Uh, you two go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."

Alexis gave a shrug. "Suit yourself. Oh, hold on." She told Alice to turn around and then fixed her bow, which was tilting. "There. It must have gotten messed up during the duel. Sorry about that. It's a pet peeve of mine to see things crooked."

"Alexis can be a neat freak," Enora chuckled, patting Alexis on the back.

"Ow," Alexis said rubbing the spot. She and Enora walked to school while Alice thought it best to tend to Evan.

"Are you all right?" Alice said sprinting towards him. She crouched down and started picking up his cards, which were scattered all over the ground.

Evan gawked at her for a moment. He shook his head to get it out of the gutter and answered. "Yeah, thanks. I'm fine. Really."

"Looks like you bit off more than you can chew there, kid. Jaden Yuki may be a freshman like we are, but he's far from a novice. I think you would have figured that out when he beat Crowler."

Evan rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I kind of figured it was dumb luck. I thought some of that could rub off on me today."

Alice handed him back his cards. "No offense, but it's pretty stupid thinking that was dumb luck. Jaden's got skill. Just what were you trying to prove?" She stood up and held out her hand.

Evan took it and let her help him up. "I don't like where I'm staying. Those accommodations by the swamps are really spooky and it smells…funny out there. Not to mention it's so degrading. You don't know what it's like getting laughed at all the time. Trying your hardest to climb out of the bottom only to fall back down all the time. I thought if I beat the kid who defeated Crowler, I'd probably get the chance to move to another dorm like Ra Yellow or, I don't know, maybe even Obelisk Blue."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there, hotshot. You're in Slifer Red because you got bad grades and your dueling is subpar. Chancellor Sheppard isn't going to boost you up to Obelisk Blue just because you got lucky against the school's rising star. Jaden may have beat Crowler, but his reward for that victory were less smelly living quarters. If you want to move up the ranks, you've got to make the grade and get better."

"That's easier said than done."

"Most things usually are. Look, why don't you meet me during lunch and I can take a look at that deck of yours."

"Uh, sure. I'd like that very much. Alice, right? Hey, your sister is…"

She silenced him by holding out her palm. "Okay, first thing's first. If you wanna hang around me, don't you ever mention my sister. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am. I understand completely. So, what classes do you have? If we have the same one, I'd be more than happy to walk with you there."

"Uh, let's see now," Alice said, digging into the pocket of her jacket. She took out a crumpled piece of paper, which was the list of her classes. "I've got The History and Appreciation of Duel Monsters, Trigonometry, Holographic Programming, P.E, tech ed, and…"

"Whoa, I thought this was a school for dueling." He fumbled around his pockets until he found his own list. "Aww, man, I have math class too!" He looked at her list. Unfortunately, they shared only one class together, and that was with Dr. Crowler. Evan was upset that he couldn't walk with Alice to class, but he was even more perturbed by the fact he had to take classes like mathematics.

"Aww, I suck at math. Why do we have to learn all this?"

"We can't grow to be dueling dum-dums like Rex and Weevil or that bum Bandit Keith. We need to have other skills to prepare our futures. This place may groom the next generation of duelists, but sometimes, we grow to change our minds. Especially when we get older. I mean, have you ever had a dream besides being good at Duel Monsters?"

"Actually, no. This is all I ever really wanted to do."

"Then you better start cooking up some kind of Plan B. So far, dueling is not looking too good for you. But, hey, you've got three years to get better at the game or make up your mind and find something else to do with your life."

Ethan chuckled to hide his embarrassment. "Well, I guess I've always wanted to start a business making custom Duel Disks."

"Hey, there you go. Build up that dream as well. It's always good to keep a backup plan in case something doesn't work out."

The bell tower started to toll loudly. Other students in the ground began to run to class.

"Uh oh, that's the final bell. See you at lunch, Ethan. It was nice meeting you." She took off at once.

"Nice meeting you, too, Alice!" Ethan called back, feeling like he was the luckiest guy in the world.


	3. The Hounds of Chazz Princeton

She made it to class on time. The final bell had rung and the hallways were empty and silent mostly. Alice entered a grand lecture hall with a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The wall behind the teacher's desk, which sat alone on a stage, was made of glass and stood over thirty feet tall, giving the students a panoramic view of the ocean and the volcano smoking on another island far off in the distance.

The professor wasn't in class yet, and most of the students were up and about chatting or trading cards. She heard a loud snore coming from below. She grinned and shook her head when she spotted Jaden and Syrus sitting together in the front row.

Syrus was flipping around through some note cards, while Jaden had his head down. He was sound asleep. Alice wasted no time and found herself a place to sit where she could keep an eye on him. Hopefully, she could get her chance to speak to him before class ended, and maybe he could duel for her so she could get photos of his Elemental HEROs for her little brother to see.

Just as she set her backpack down, someone cast a shadow over her. "Ahem." She nervously looked over her shoulder and saw none other than Chazz Princeton with two of his friends standing behind him like loyal henchmen.

"You mind getting lost?" he said sternly. His voice was raspy and cold; his eyes narrow and commanding. "This is our spot."

"Your spot?"

"What? Did I speak Chinese? Yes, this is our spot. Now get lost."

"I didn't know, I'm sorry." Alice quickly gathered her things.

"Hold on, Chazz, ain't she the girl who Boris claims wet her pants when he scared the piss out of her?"

"She sure is," Chazz replied, his eyes still locked onto Alice. "What a disgrace. And you call yourself an Obelisk? How can you let one of those Slifer Slackers push you around like that? You oughta be ashamed."

Someone slammed their book on their desk on the row of seats above. It was Alexis, her face red with fury. "Come on, Alice. You can sit up here. There's an empty seat right by me."

Chazz turned to look at her. His face formed an ecstatic expression. He lowered his voice to sound suave.

"Hey, Alexis. I didn't know you were in this class. It must be written in the stars to have us together like this."

"Or you could have bought your way in here just to be in the same room as me. Let the girl pass, sit your ass down, and shut up!"

"Whatever you say, Alexis."

Chazz scooted to the right to give Alice enough room to move aside. She nervously went by him like a child fearing an angry parent, fearing they were going to strike at any minute.

"You know, I'm honestly hurt, Alexis," said Chazz. "You shouldn't be defending all these scrubs and slackers. It's not good for a girl of your stature and skill. You'd be making a mistake making friends with these chumps. I can guarantee a promising future if you stick around with your fellow Obelisks, especially me."

Alexis frowned and narrowed her eyes. "I'm smart enough to figure out who the wrong kind of friends are, Chazz."

A door to the side of the room opened. An elderly man in a bone-colored suit and red bowtie walked into the lecture hall carrying a very old leather briefcase.

"Good morning everyone," he said. "Please take your seats."

He up the carpeted steps to his desk at the center of the stage and set down his briefcase on his desk, which was littered with old-fashioned archeological tools and newspapers. He opened it and took out an assortment of items, but paused when he heard Jaden snoring. He tapped his cane on the desk, startling the boy. "Mr. Yuki, may I suggest a drink of water before we get started?"

He tossed him a bottle of water.

"Gee, thanks," Jaden said.

"Of course. I know how hard it must be for you youngsters to get out of bed so early in the morning. If you require refreshments to help wake you up, please help yourselves to the table on the left side of the hall, but do so courteously if you please."

"He looks rather friendly," Alice whispered, to which Alexis nodded.

"Welcome everyone. Let's get you all up and at'em with some stretches. Come on, up, up, up."

The students did as they were told and stood. They followed his stretches to help get the sleep out of their bodies and get them ready for the day.

"Good, good. You may sit back down now. Welcome to the History and Appreciation of Duel Monsters. My name is Professor Arthur Hawkins."

Alice gasped. "Arthur?!"

"You know him?" Alexis asked.

"My father worked with him on the quest for Atlantis."

After an introduction and some background info on his past adventures through Egypt, India, and his discovery of the lost city of Atlantis that triggered the Leviathan Incident many years ago. He explained the origin of Duel Monsters, stating that monsters were taken from the soul of a person and sealed into cards to do battle in giant stone tablets.

"Man, imagine lugging a deck of stone tablets around!" said Syrus. "It must have been terrible."

Professor Hawkins laughed, but then broke into a cough. He sipped some herbal tea to calm it down.

"Ahem. Oh no, Mr. Truesdale. It is said the priests carried artifacts called DiaDhanks, which resembled modern-day Duel Disks. These magical devices were said to summon the stone from the ground or out of nowhere in some cases. But this is still just a myth and we have yet to find this DiaDhanks. But the myth of summoning monsters to do battle grew quite popular among the commoners. They made cards out of papyrus and painted monsters on them. I actually have some that I found with me right now. I'll let you pass them around so you call can see."

The students murmured with excitement as Professor Hawkins went for his briefcase and to take out the items which were framed for preservation. He also had a few photos of the ruins displaying carvings on the wall with monsters that looked quite familiar.

Alice finally got the frame with the cards and looked at it with Alexis. "Amazing! Look at this one here. He's some kind of pink reptile or something."

"That's Anthrosaurus!" Alexis exclaimed. "Wow! Darkworld Plant. Bean Soldier. And that's Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress. Oh, Wretched Ghost of the Attic."

"Look at this photo he took in these ruins. That one right there. That's Giant Soldier of Stone."

"Were the rules the same as they are today professor?" a student named Kami asked.

"Well, no. They were much simpler than what you kids have today. Oof, I have to constantly adjust my pacemaker every time I see you Xyz Summon, Link Summon, and Pendulum Summon. How can you read all that text on those things? I saw the effect of that Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon. It was like an essay!"

The students laughed.

"But the premise was just about the same. Players had a certain amount of Life Points and they used a wide array of monsters to try and get those points to 0. Field Spells gave them a five hundred point boost in power and they could gain another five hundred points in power if their Guardian Star was stronger than the other monsters' star."

"What's a Guardian Star?"

"I'm so glad you asked."

Professor Hawkins pressed a button on his desk and a holographic projection displayed the chart of the Guardian Stars for them to choose, which were based on the sun, the moon, and eight of the planets in the Solar System. Each monster had a choice of two stars that served a certain type of element. For example, Mars was generally attributed to Fire monsters.

"Who would like to try and play the way the ancient Egyptians did?"

There was already a show of hands, except for Chazz who preferred to play with today's rules.

"Good, that will be your homework assignment. In your desks, you'll find a deck of cards with monsters that were used during Ancient Egypt. Study the monsters and their Guardian Stars very carefully. Our workshops will include dueling sessions with these decks. On Friday, we will have a friendly tournament to test what you have learned. Winner will get a great boost in their grade."

"Professor?" a girl said looking at the cards in her hand.

"Yes?"

"This card is Sinister Serpent. Isn't he supposed to be an effect monster?"

"Yeah," said another girl, "I've got the same problem here, Professor. Steel Scorpion is an effect monster. How come it's shown here as normal? Is this a misprint?"

"Calm down, ladies," Professor Hawkins said with a friendly chuckle. "There were no effect monsters during this time."

"WHAT!" everyone shouted.

"Nope. The only way to defeat a strong monster was to pray that your Guardian Star gave your monster enough power to defeat your opponent's, bolster their power with spells, or protect them with traps."

The bell rang.

"Well, that just about does it for us today,"

Awwww, groaned the students. They seemed to have grown to love Professor Hawkins' class. He was such a fun and charismatic teacher, and he told his stories so well.

"I know, I know. I'll see you all next time on Wednesday. Please do the assignment on chapter one of your textbooks. I want them on my desk next class, no excuses. Class dismissed. Oh, uh, Miss Fenix. Please, come down. I'd like to talk to you."

Alice looked at Alexis, who gave a nod. "We have another class together. I'll meet you there and save you a spot."

"That would be great. I don't want to piss off any more people today." She referenced Chazz who was marching out of the lecture hall with his friends.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about him. It's me he wants. I'll see you in a bit."

Alice gathered her things and walked to the professor's desk. "Hello, Arthur."

"Alice. My how you've grown. You were just a little sprout when I last saw you. How have you been holding up since the accident?"

"It's been rough. Thanks for helping us out. If it wasn't for you, mom would never have gotten into Kaiba Corp."

"It's the least I can do for what happened. Your father was a very good friend of mine. And I miss him. Did he ever tell you about that bracelet he sent you?"

"It's a relic from Atlantis, right?"

"Yes, one of many brilliant artifacts we uncovered in the site."

Alice scoffed and waved her arm around, causing the glowing jewels to jingle against one another. "You know Mom called him stupid for that. It should go in a museum, not to me, she said. I kind of see her point. Aren't pieces like this priceless or something?"

"Oh, no. There were plenty more just like it. We believe this was made by a jeweler selling their handmade crafts for little money. I hope he didn't fill your little head with stories about how you were going to be infused with ancient magical energies and awaken some long, lost power."

Alice laughed. "He did, actually. I believed it when I was little, but nowadays, I've come to terms that it's just a regular bracelet. Do you need it back, Professor? For the museum or for study or something?"

"No, my dear. That piece belongs to you. Your father gave it to you with lots of love. And that means a great deal more than monetary value. Have you grown accustomed to the academy?"

"I think it's wonderful. This whole place is just something else. I was quite surprised to see you."

"As was I. I will do whatever I can to make up for what happened."

"Professor, you mustn't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. It was an ancient ruin, God only knows how weak the supports for that chamber was."

"I know, I know. I admit, I got careless and dare I say arrogant in my discovery of Atlantis. I didn't look out for the well-being of my men and one of them, who was dearest to me, paid the ultimate price. It's because of me that you don't have a father anymore, child." He stood up and bowed. "I am so, so, sorry for your loss."

"It's okay, Professor. Please, stop blaming yourself. My father died doing what he wanted to do his whole life. He knew the risks of delving into ancient ruins and so did you. So did I. There were times when I ignored him to try and get him to stay home and stop going to those places."

Professor Hawkins smiled. "Your mother raised you well, child. I'm sure your father would have been very proud to see you where you are today. Oh, I've kept you long enough. Off you go then. If you have any questions about my assignments, my office is open on through Thursday."

"Thank you, Professor. Bye."

* * *

Alice ran down the halls to get to her next class. She has some time left and went for one of the snack machines to buy a chocolate chip cookie. She stopped to marvel at an indoor waterfall that thundered from hundreds of floors above into a lake at the center of the atrium where some students were hanging out and watching a variety of aquatic life swimming about, including large creatures like whale sharks, who had a gorgeous environment in the floor below. Alice wished she could go down and see them, but the clock was ticking. If what Sara said about Crowler was true, he was not a patient man. Just as she made it up the stairs, she heard someone laughing at her.

Boris. He and his friends were goofing around in a sitting area harassing a helpless Ra Yellow student who was shielding his head with a large book. Once their attention was drifted to her, the boy got up from his seat and ran away.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Princess Pee."

"Oh, wow, did you come up with that one all by yourself? You are such an imbecile, Boris."

"Hey, don't you go insulting my big bro," said Boris's younger brother, Zack. "That's hazardous to your health."

"I'm trembling in my boots. I don't have time to deal with you."

Before she took another step further, one of Boris' boys skateboarded in front of her and blocked the way.

"Excuse me, I need to get to class!"

Boris sniggered. "You can go to class, but there's still the matter of that toll you owe us. Yeah, did you honestly think because Enora came and saved your ass, we were gonna turn tail and run? No, we've got business to settle. Hand over your two rarest cards in your deck. Then, maybe, we'll let you go to class."

"Maybe? That's not very reassuring."

"Yeah, because if your two cards don't satisfy my tastes, I might have to ask for something else. Yeah, your bracelet."

"You are not getting my things, you big bully. Now let me through."

"No, I don't think so. Your two cards. Now."

"I'll duel you instead! How about that?"

"Huh? You serious? You're going to challenge me to a duel?"

"Yes, if you win, you can have my two rarest cards, Lose, and you leave me alone. Am I understood?"

Boris laughed. "Fine. But if I win, not only do I take your two rarest cards, but you also become part of my harem."

"Excuse me!"

"But you don't have a harem, boss."

"Not yet, but I will. And we're going to start with her. Who knows. Maybe I can add those two cuties, Kami and Wisteria. Or maybe even the Queen herself, Alexis Rhodes."

"Yeah!" The boys said, high-fiving one another.

"All the girls of this school belong to Boris!" shouted Zach.

"What's going on over there?" shouted a security guard. "Boris! Is that you again?"

'Uh oh, let's bounce, boys. As for you, my little sweetpea. I'm going to have a pretty busy afternoon, so let's have our match after school. If you chicken out, that's a forfeit. See you then, Princess Pee!" He and his gang laughed and then sprinted down the halls and were gone.

"The nerve of that guy," Alice said adjusting her tie. She hurried upstairs to her next class.

* * *

The day flew by and classes had finished for the day. Evan was a no show for lunch because he claimed some ruffians from Ra Yellow grabbed him and stuffed him in a locker during gym class. So to make up for it, they had a small picnic on a hill overlooking the Dueling Fields where students were having friendly matches in front of roaring crowds. Vendors rolled their carts on the white-stone path around the green fields honking their wares such as sandwiches, turkey drumsticks, popcorn, and ice cream.

"Sounds like your day sucked," Alice said, pouring fruit punch from her flask into the cover, which doubled as a cup.

Evan let out a heavy sigh, relieved that the day was finally done. "Yeah, it was a blast. And boy was Dr. Crowler mean. He really has it in for us Reds."

"I have him first tomorrow morning," Alice sighed. "I ran into him earlier today. He said he hopes I have what it takes to walk in my sister's footsteps. Seems like everybody, even the teachers, want me to be like her."

"Hey, I noticed you have Link Summoning on your schedule. Do you have cards like those?"

"Yeah. My Nephthys deck got some sweet support. While Link Summoning in itself is not too difficult, I find it hard to come up with any strategies to use them. How will I know when to trigger them and stuff like that. I hope I don't run into a situation where I have to use them. I have my tryouts on Friday."

"You're going to join the Red Arrows? Wow, I wish you luck, Alice. Huh, an all-female team that represents the academy. Now that's something."

"Well, we can't have you guys have all the fun, can we?" She leaned back on her hands and looked at the sky.

"Trying to be pro like... Oh. Nevermind."

Alice sighed heavily. "Yeah, yeah, my sister is the great Sara Fenix, and everyone around here expects me to live up to her standards. Be like your sister, they say. You've got big shoes to fill, they say. I'm so tired of it. I just want to make Duel Monster holograms. Why is that so much to ask? Why does my whole life have to revolve around Sara's accomplishments? Do you ever have to deal with this kind of thing Evan? Evan?"

She saw that he wasn't paying attention.

"Are you even listening, jerk?"

Evan snapped out of it. "I'm sorry, r-really, I am. I just got distracted by all those cool monsters down there. Check it out!"

Alice looked down at the fields. She had to agree, there was a very impressive array of monsters being played down there.

Evan whined. "Gosh, what I would do to have those kinds of monsters in my deck. Look at that over there. Fog King! So regal, so mysterious, so powerful. Wow, and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane!"

"Bane?" Alice asked. "I think Enora runs that kind of deck. Not that I blame her, Red Dragon Archfiend is a hit in the tournaments."

Evan still didn't listen. "Ooooh, man Dragoon of Red-Eyes! He's that fusion between Dark Magician and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Oh, oh, oh! Salamangreat Blaze Dragon, so amazing! And that's Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier! That girl over there by the willow tree! Is she using Soldier Gaia the Fierce Knight? Awww, cool! And look over there! That guy just summoned Borrelend Dragon! Look at the power on that thing! Look at the detail!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well sorry to disappoint you Evan, but in order to get cards like that, you need to have two very essential things. Skill and most importantly – M-O-N-E-Y."

"I know, I know, I know. I have to work my butt off to get those cards and have the skill to use them. Wow, look there, someone just summoned...oh."

A Chaos Emperor, the Dragon of Armageddon was rendered on the field, spelling doom for the player who had to fight against it.

"I hate that stupid thing!" Evan said, turning to look away from it. He crossed his arms and pouted.

"What?" Alice asked. "Is he not a card you want?"

"No. That card kicked my ass time and time again at family reunions."

"Family reunions? Hold on a minute."

Alice took a closer look at the duelist who summoned the dragon. The duelist was a tall girl with a fleece of shiny golden-blonde hair flowing down to her ankles. One eye was dark brown and the other was bright green. It took Alice a while to seem them because they were concealed behind long bangs. Her skin was pale and she had a permanent scowl rumpling her pretty face. Her boots were black and wide-brimmed with two large pouches on each side and the excess laces hanging about here and there for display. A black choker was fastened around her slender neck.

"Elizabeth Blackburn? She's your sister? No way!"

"Yeah, and just like you, I'd rather not talk about her."

"I understand, but still. I can't believe you're related to Elizabeth Blackburn. The stories I heard about her are legendary."

"She's not related to me anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what can I say? We were split up a long time ago when our parents got divorced. Dad took Elizabeth. Mom was stuck with pitiful me. Dad always did like Elizabeth more. She was so good at everything. Ballet, singing, and of course dueling. Mom married a factory worker a few months after the divorce, and it was thanks to him that we were able to make ends meet. But while I was stuck in some crappy apartment in the slums, I saw Alice make the front page on the local paper, winning the annual Dragon Duel Tournament. She became something of a local hero. You should have seen the look on mom's face when she read that Elizabeth was going to the world-famous Duel Academy. Obelisk Blue and one of the best students in her class. Ha, but Kharma has a lovely way of showing herself. Last year, Elizabeth got wrecked in the Industrial Illusions Invitational. She would have made it to the top, but this hotshot named Aster Phoenix defeated her, no sweat. I was so glad when he did that. It sure showed she wasn't all that like dad said she was."

"I see."

"Yeah. Aren't we two peas in a pod? Both of us are trying to get away from the shadows of our sisters. Anyway, Mom and Goro, my stepdad, saved up all the money they could to get me to come here and be in Obelisk Blue. Sadly, I flunked the prep school they sent me to. I was just too stupid to learn all this stuff. Xyz Summon, Pendulum Summon, Synchro Summon, Link Summon. I mean why does the game need all this crap? Why can't it be like the old days during Battle City and Duelist Kingdom?

"The game has to evolve you know. Just learn to play and get the right cards."

"But you said I need money, and that's something I don't have."

He looked back at the Dueling Field and saw all those cool and powerful monsters doing battle against one another. Evan scratched his head in frustration and growled.

"Arrggh! Why? Why does it have to be so hard? I want those cards now!"

Alice stood up and placed both her knuckles on her hips.

"Now? What the hell is your deal, Evan? _I want those cards now! Waaaa!_ Have some dignity for goodness sake! What do you think this is? Some self-insert power fantasy where you get all the cards you want and wow the whole school with your godly skills? Well, sorry to disappoint you, man, this is real life. Right now the ones mesmerizing the class are Jaden Yuki, yes, even Chazz Princeton, and that guy Zane. You want to get to the top, you've got to earn it. Now stop sulking!"

Suddenly a Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty rose out from behind the hill and swooped over them. The fierce wind caused Alice's skirt to lift and gave Evan a generous view.

His mouth fell wide open and a sickly look formed on his face. Whoa….Her...P-p-panties.

Alice was quick to notice this and slapped him across the face. "Why do I even bother!? Good luck to you, pervert!" She grabbed her things and stormed down the hill.

"Hey!" Evan called after her, rubbing his cheek. "Hey, where you going?"

"I'm leaving. Goodbye, Evan!"

"Hey, Alice! Come back! I didn't mean it! Alice!"

He heard someone laughing behind him. Chazz and his friends were there watching the whole thing.

"Well, looks like your having some lady troubles there, you Slifer Slacker."

"What the hell do you care, Chazz!? What? You wanna go or something?"

"Please, I don't have time to waste on a pitiful excuse of a duelist like you. Get it through your head, you nasty perv. You don't belong here."

"Oh, yeah! Come on! I'm not afraid of you! I can take you on!"

One of Chazz's friends cackled. "Watch it, slacker! You don't know who you're messing with!"

"I'm messing with a total punk who's too scared to take on a slacker as he calls me? What's wrong, Chazz? You scared or something?"

"All right, Slifer Slacker, you're done for." Chazz held up his wrist and activated a very fancy, futuristic Duel Disk.

"Whoa! Is that the new Duel Disk?"

"Yeah, yeah it is, chump! But it only goes to those who can afford it. Now, let's duel!"

**Chazz 4000 LP**

**Evan 4000 LP**

* * *

**Turn 1**

"I'm going to go first!" shouted Evan. "I summon Baby Dragon in attack mode!"

**Turn 2**

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're not even gonna try and play this game? You're wasting my time slacker. Hmm. I set a monster face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 3**

"I draw! Ha, running scared Chazz? Don't have anything that can stand up to my Baby Dragon?"

"Why don't you stop yapping and find out what I have in store for you, slacker! I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 4**

"Draw! Okay, Chazz, I summon Hero of the East in attack mode! Watch and learn!"

Evan summoned a samurai with green armor and a horned helmet. His bright yellow eyes pierced through the dark shadow his helmet cast over his face.

**(ATK 1100 → 1600)**

"Huh? What's this? Why did my monster's attack points increase? I didn't give him any spells?"

Chazz chuckled. "Someone didn't read the manual when they got here. Have you taken a good look at this island we're in, Evan? There are more than eleven different biomes here ranging from fields, swamps, forests, jungle, wilderness, coast, mountain and more. These terrains play a specific role with how we play here just to make things interesting. Each of them will give a field power bonus to the monsters who favor a certain terrain. We're in the meadow, and warriors thrive in the meadow. So congratulations, slacker, your monster got a field power bonus."

"Yeah! This is perfect! All right, Chazz, it's time to meet your maker. Attack!"

"You amateur! I activate my face-down card. Offerings to the Doomed. It stops your monster and destroys it."

AAAAGGGGH! The samurai cried out and exploded.

"I've still got my Baby Dragon! Go, little buddy!"

Baby Dragon blew a spark of fire from its mouth, but it failed to do anything against Chazz's dragon. Flamvell Guard, who had 2000 DEF.

**Chazz 4000 LP**

**Evan 3200 LP**

**Turn 5**

"My move. However, I can't draw due to the effect of Offerings to the Doomed. But that's no biggie, cuz I've got all the cards I need in my hand. Now, I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf! Next, I use the spell card, Plus Star 123. Now, I can increase my Flamvell Guard's level by up to three, but I think I'm just gonna adjust it by one. Now I can perform a Synchro Summon."

Evan gulped. The two monsters in front of him turned into orbs of light, which started to spin around and forming another creature. "Synchro Summon!"

"That's right. Say hello to Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!"

The light then took the form of a three-headed wolf covered in spiky white armor and gold chains. When it roared, it sounded like a hundred dogs barking at once, causing Evan to stutter and fall.

**Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirus**

**ATK/2400 DEF/1500**

"And get this, Slifer Slacker, because it's a Beast-Warrior, it, too, gets the 500 point power boost, raising his attack power to 2900! Go, Blue Sirius! Snack on his Baby Dragon!"

The wolf lord raised his two other heads, which acted like arms. The mouths opened and released a blue energy beam at Baby Dragon and destroying it.

**Chazz 4000 LP**

**Evan 1500 LP**

**Turn 6**

"Oh man, not good. Definitely not good. Come on, deck. I really need you to come through for me. I draw! Hey, it's Pot of Greed."

"Please, just activate it," groaned Chazz. "If I have to hear another dimwit explain what it does again, I'm going to go berserk."

"All right, I won't," Evan said. He drew his two cards. "All right. I summon Ax Raider in attack mode. And with the field power bonus, his attack increases to 2200! But that's not all, Chazz! I equip him with Ax of Despair! This will increase his attack by 1000! Yes, yes, yes! That's 3200 attack points."

Chazz scoffed. "Oh my God, you can add. Color me impressed." He was being sarcastic of course.

Ax Raider charged and sliced Blue Sirius in half. Chazz stood through the explosion unphased but he had a crooked grin/.

Evan jumped up and down with joy. "I did it! I can't believe I did it! Wooo!"

"Are you sure about that, punk?" Chazz said pointing at Ax Raider's attack points.

They fell to 800, leaving Evan stunned. He looked around at the field, wondering what on earth happened to cause such a thing.

"When Blue Sirius is destroyed, he can lower the attack points of one of your monsters by 2400 points. So much for your little miracle, you Slifer Slacker. It doesn't matter what you do. The Chazz is always one step ahead. Now, it's my turn!"

**Turn 7**

"All right, you pathetic wannabe, you've wasted enough of my time. I summon Dark Blade, Captain of the Evil World. Since he's a Warrior, he'll take advantage of the power bonus, increasing his attack to 2300. All right, my captain. Take out that slacker and end this duel!"

Dark Blade's demonic black horse reared up on its hind legs and whinnied before galloping toward the weakened Ax Raider. Dark Blade raised his sword and cut of Ax Raider's head with one swipe. His body exploded and dealt the last dose of damage to Evan's Life Points.

"NO WAAAAAY!" Evan cried as he tried to keep himself anchored to the ground. But the explosion was too great, and it knocked him flat on his back. His Life Points fell to 0.

"Way to go, Chazz!"

"Yeah, that was so beast! Your Blue Sirius was sick, man!"

"Thanks. Just a little something I picked up when I was in Athens last summer."

"You went to Athens! Aw, cool! Why didn't you bring us along?"

"Family business," Chazz answered as he walked away.

"Well, we gotta plan a trip there sometime. We gotta go!"

Chazz scoffed and crossed his arms. "Are you kidding? I'm not going back there, man. The Greeks are assholes."

When they were gone Evan stood up and rubbed the back of his head. All of a sudden, it felt very cold. He saw someone standing on the hill where he and Alice had their picnic earlier. Elizabeth. She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head before sauntering down the hill and out of sight.

"You don't need to say a thing to let me know how worthless I am," Evan said sadly, picking himself up. But then he grinned, reminiscing about the moment when Simorgh flew over them and caused that wind. "Orange panties, huh? Hmm, I sure learned a lot about you today, Fenix."

* * *

Back at her dorm, Alice performed her evening routine and sat down in front of her desk to send her mother another email.

_Dear Mom,_

_Well, the past couple of days have been interesting, to say the least. I met a few new friends, one of them is the captain of an all-girls Duel Monsters team called The Red Arrows. I've done my research on them, mama, and they have a very distinguished history here at the academy. Lots of trophies in the hallways were won because of them. I can't believe I might be one of them! Tryouts for the team are on Friday. Wish me luck!_

_You're not going to believe this, but Professor Arthur Hawkins, the man who daddy worked with, he's my history teacher. We're going to learn how to play Duel Monsters the way the Ancient Egyptians did 5000 years ago. I think it's so exciting._

_I saw some really interesting matches. Yes, I saw the boy Jaden play. He's become something of the school celebrity. There's lots of talk surrounding him. Many of them praise his skills or are amazed by them. Others are just looking to take him down. I hope I can play like him with my Nephthys cards. Speaking of which, I think I've found someone I could consider my nemesis. Yeah, that's right mom. Someone made a fool out of me as I was getting settled in, and I'm going to make him pay._

_Tomorrow, I'm going to find the punk who humiliated me and I'm gonna make him pay! After my phoenixes take care of him, there's gonna be nothing left of him, mark my words. Tell Sammy thanks for sending me that Sphere Kuriboh plushie! I just got it in the mail when I got back from school and it's adorable! I'm already starting to miss you guys. Take care and keep Sammy out of trouble._

_Love Alice_


	4. Awakening of Nephthys

The next morning, Evan smelled the tangy smell of sea salt as he approached the Slifer Red dormitories near the coast. They weren't anything spectacular, resembling motel bungalows in the islands of Key West or something.

Still, it beats living in the smelly swamps. These living quarters were reserved for the Slifer Red students who were doing far better than the rest. Evan loved it. The ocean breeze cooled his face and there was a river flowing by in front of the dorms surrounded by flowers, stones and a white limestone bridge. Below the hill where the Slifer Red girls' dormitories.

They, too, were placed by a cliff with a grand view of the ocean, and were surrounded by a wall of palm trees for added privacy and iron fencing for security. Laying near the main gate was a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Huon, who was the girls' mascot and watchdog. Their dorm was slightly unique in that it was placed directly in the middle of a river that flowed off a waterfall into a pool in the jungles below.

"Heads up!" someone shouted.

Evan turned around and screamed. A Dragunity Knight Romulus soared towards him, his lance up and ready to strike him down.

"NO!" cried Evan. "Don't spear me!"

Romulus flew over him and struck down a monster called Daigusto Emeral. His lance pierced through the creature's emerald armor and caused an explosion that sent a girl with brown hair across the field.

"Aww, I lost," she said pounding the ground with her fist. "And I was so close."

Evan picked himself up and patted the dust off his trousers. The girl who summoned Romulus ran towards him. Her flaming ruby-red hair was tied into a long ponytail that brushed over her thighs.

It waved behind her like looking like a cape of fire. Her eyes were lime green and she had a pendant around her neck that resembled a sword used by Dragunity Knight - Ascalon. She only wore a black sports bra and the skirt of her uniform. Her jacket and blouse were hanging from the branch of a tree nearby.

The girl laughed as she ran towards him, her boots crunching the gravel beath her. She started rubbing the back of her head in distress. "Hey, that was a close call. Sorry about that. You okay there, fella?"

Evan ogled at her. "Yeah, yeah, I'm all right. Was that your monster?"

"Yup. I'm Trix by the way. Nice to meet you."

Evan shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Trix. I take it you run a Dragunity deck. Neat. I heard it takes a lot of skill to use those. What are you doing here in Slifer Red?"

"Dragunity monsters aren't that hard, bruh. You make it sound like rocket science or something. And I'm out here in Red because I can't pass those written exams for shit."

"Hey, school is about to start. Shouldn't you...you know. Be getting dressed?"

Trix snapped her fingers in his face. "My dude, eyes up here! And, yeah, I should, but we like to have a little warm-up before class starts. Your coat of arms has no decorations on it. That means you're from the swamp. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I was looking for Jaden Yuki."

Trix giggled. "Aren't we all. You want to duel him or something?"

"No, I already did that and got trounced. That's sort of why I'm here. I just wanted to apologize to him and his friend for coming off as a jerk the other day. I let my ego get the best of me."

"It happens all the time. You're not the only one who suffers from that. You're in Duel Academy after all. At least you're sweet enough to acknowledge that."

"Aw, shucks. I…"

"Hey, Trix!" the girl she defeated called out from a lit-up path. "We need to get going. The tram's in service."

"All right. I'll be right there. If you're looking for Jaden, he's in that room right there at the far right entrance up the staircase; first door when you get up there."

"Thanks. Uh…" Evan chuckled nervously and rubbed his neck. "You're really...cute, Trix. Do you, uh, wanna meet up sometime and…"

Trix laughed and held up her palm. "Sorry, my dude, but I'm already taken. I'm going out with another Slifer, but don't let that fool you. He's strong. And he's got a Red-Eyes deck that he'll have no problem pummeling you with just to prove it."

"Oh, I see. Sorry. Well, see you around, I guess."

Trix shook her head. "So long as you're out in the swamp dorms, that's not likely."

She turned and walked away, leaving Evan feeling awkward. "Aww, man, I bet she'd make an awesome girlfriend. I don't envy the guy who's going out with her."

He hurried to the room where Jaden was supposed to live. He knocked on the door. No answer.

"Jaden?" Evan said, knocking on the door. "Jaden. It's Evan. From yesterday. I just want to talk to you if that's okay."

Out of curiosity, he turned the knob. "Hey, the door is open." Evan walked in. The room was dark and it smelled of dirty laundry, which there were piles of all over the floor. Evan sniffed the room again. Someone was cooking grilled cheese earlier. They must have had it for breakfast.

"Jaden?" Evan whispered. "Are you in here? Syrus? Hey, I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday. I might have come off as a jerk."

No one answered. He could hear the seagulls outside and the waves crashing against the shore below the cliff where the dorm was perched. He walked towards the window, knocking over piles of cards and kicking crushed soda cans. He peeled back the curtain to let in some light into the room.

"Wow, what a view!"

"Those were shut for a reason!" someone barked at him.

Evan froze. Someone was sleeping on the top bunk. Someone big. The guy loomed over the guard rail, growling like an angry beast. He had a round face and a round pink nose with two fluffy parts on both sides of the top of his head that made it look like he had ears.

Evan screamed and tripped over an old shoe, landing hard on the floor.

"So you're the one making all that racket, huh?" said the boy. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here? You're not assigned to this dorm."

Evan stood up, his legs shaking. "I'm sorry. I was looking for Jaden Yuki. I thought this was his room."

"This IS his room. He's my roommate along with Syrus Truesdale. You just missed him, though. He went out to the Dueling Fields to look for some action before class began."

"I understand. Sorry. But what about you? Uh…"

"Chumley's the name. Chumley Huffington."

"Okay, Chumley. Shouldn't you be going to class?"

Chumley turned and slid the covers over himself. "Don't care. Class sucks. Besides, I haven't gotten enough sleep yet. Now do us all a favor and get out of our room. Don't forget to close those curtains."

* * *

Alice and Alexis walked to class together with two girls named Jasmine and Mindy, who were two of Alexis's closest friends. They had heard about what Boris had done to her, and also had horror stories to tell of their encounters with him.

"One of his goons used his Duel Disk to summon some ghost Duel Monster to chase me!" said Jasmine. "In my horror, I left my backpack on the wall where I was sitting to text this cutie I saw in class the other day. Sadly, my binder with all my rarest cards was in there. I tried to get them back, but Boris wanted to duel me for them. When I accepted, his two buddies joined in the duel at random moments and they tore me to pieces."

"I guess that was the victory that gave him the sense of power to think he could hunt down girls for his harem," Mindy said with a shudder. She was eating an apple as they strolled down the halls of the school's upper levels.

Two Black Hawk helicopters thundered by, shaking the halls. Some students were looking out the window to marvel at the views or stopped to have a conversation in the sitting areas located here and there.

"I'm about to duel him today," Alice said, throwing her empty milk carton away into a nearby trash bin. "I could force him to return your cards, Jasmine."

"That's so sweet. You'd do that for me?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Alexis. "You've already got enough on the line as it is, Alice. If you add Jasime's cards to the pot, Boris might want something more."

Alice shrugged. "So. I don't have to listen to his terms if I lose."

"Of course not," said Jasmine. "You're tough."

"But what do you think Boris is going to do if she doesn't agree to her end of the bargain?"

They all went quiet. They knew she was right.

"But we can't just let that bully run around harassing people and forcing girls into a nasty harem."

"Look, I want Boris kicked off the island as much as any of you, but the sad matter is, Campus Security is only here to safeguard three things. The technology, the cards, and the money. They're not friendly campus liaisons like back home. These guys are mercenaries plain and simple. Unless your parents forked over some extra cash for your protection, they don't really care what's going on with us students. In short, we're on our own and have to settle things with our enemies the only way we know how."

"That's so dumb," said Alice. "You mean there's nothing they can do to help us with bullies?"

Alexis nodded. "Unless the bully starts going on a killing spree or does something super, super, illegal, then no. Campus Security won't waste time on you. Look, don't look so glum. It's not all bad, girls. The only thing assholes like Boris have is reputation. You take that away from them, and they have nothing. Show the school these guys are nothing to be scared of, and they'll lose their power."

Mindy nodded, agreeing with what she said. "Well, thank goodness we've got duelists like Zane, Elizabeth, Chazz, and what's that guy's name again? Jaden?"

"Well, they're good," said Alice. "I seriously doubt the duel gangs out there are going to want to mess with a guy like Zane. And Chazz is surrounded by his own groupies. There's no way they'll want to lay a finger on him with all that muscle."

Jasmine smiled. "Maybe they won't pick on us if we stick together."

Alexis looked over her shoulder. "Well, players like Zane are far too dedicated to the game and to their studies to care about these petty dorm disputes. But you're right, Jasmine. There's safety in numbers. Keep your chin up, there's going to be order around here. You'll see."

Jasmine and Mindy parted to go th their calculus class, while Alexis and Alice stepped through an opening with tall wooden doors into a lecture hall. Alice felt her nostrils being assaulted by a very fruity smell.

She coughed in the middle of the entrance toward the lecture hall, for she wasn't prepared for such a smell. It was like she had entered the perfume department at the mall. The glass walls showed a lovely view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Opera was playing from a record player on the corner of the lecture hall. The windows were almost veiled by large, carmine-colored curtains with gold cords that had large tassels hanging at the end.

"Oh, it's Jaden and his little friend again," Alice whispered.

"Dozing off as usual," Alexis said, leading Alice upstairs to the upper rows.

Chazz and his friends had conquered the left side of the stands. One of his buddies came up to him serving him buttered scones and a cup of very sweet tea. Evan was in the class, too. He tried to get Alice's attention, but she stuck her nose up in the hair.

"Hmph!" she said, storming behind Alexis.

"Trouble with that Slifer?" Alexis asked, finding them two free seats. The desks were mahogany and each seat had a lamp with a green-glass shade.

"He's a perv. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Yikes," Alexis whispered, trying to keep back her laugher. She gave Alice a chocolate chip cookie she didn't want to eat the other day.

"Oh, thank you!" She ate it at once.

Alexis giggled. "Someone's got a sweet tooth. Oops, your bow's messed up again." She adjusted it with the tenderness a mother could give. "There you go."

The music suddenly stopped and the students stopped talking once they heard the sound of the wooden doors at the entrance slamming shut. They then heard the sound of stern footsteps echoing throughout the lecture hall. "There will be no food or drinks…" he began.

Alice's eyes darted from left to right and she slowly lowered the cookie from view.

"Or friendly card trading or other silly activities in this class!" He smashed his fist on his desk to wake up Jaden. "Or sleeping!" he shouted. "You...I should have known I would see you here."

"Hey, teach, top of the morning to ya!" Jaden said.

"Be silent, slacker!" Dr. Crowler ordered, much to the joy of the other Obelisks who started sniggering. Crowler looked about the stands and was displeased by how many students were wearing red jackets or coats. He ran his fingers down both sides of his mouth; his lips colored purple, standing out against his pale skin.

"Hmph. We have quite a few undesirables in here. I do not expect many of you to succeed in the world of Duel Monsters nor fully grasp and appreciate the art that is dueling. Many of you, after graduating from this institute, will be trading the phrase: "It's time to duel" to "Hey, buddy, got a QUARTER!"

Alice grimaced. This man looked like he had no tolerance for failure, nor the students who had Slifer in the coat of arms.

"However, I see many of you who possess the qualities of an elite duelist." He eyed Chazz and Alexis, and a few other Blues. He then smiled and folded his arms. "In this class, I will teach you how to read your opponent's every move, counter even the strongest of beasts, make up strategies with a bricked hand, and even turning things around in a duel, even in your most harrowing of situations."

He looked went for his desk, but before he sat down, he spotted Alice. "Ah, Miss Fenix. Sister of the great Sara Fenix. She was one of my brightest students when she was here. I see you've come to walk in her regal footsteps, no?"

"Uh…"

"Well, being a sibling to arguably one of the greatest rising stars in the pro leagues, perhaps you can answer me some questions. That won't be too much trouble, would it?"

"Professor I…"

"What's the matter, Miss Fenix. Nervous? Fine, I'll start with an easy one. What is it called when your opponent activates an effect and you retaliate by using one of your own?"

Shit! It was at the tip of her tongue. What was it? What was it? Reaction? Continuation? Chain?

"No?" Crowler said. He tapped his foot against the red-carpeted floor. "Fine. What is the term for a monster's effect that can react immediately?"

"Quick effect?"

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. Perhaps you're not a total loss."

Alice glared at him. Gentleman? Sara was kidding.

"Now," said Crowler. "Turn your textbooks to page 15 and we can begin." He stopped and noticed Syrus was dozing off. "SYRUS!" he yelled, waking the poor boy up.

"Stand up. Now!"

Syrus did as he was told and gulped.

"Perhaps you can explain to us what a field spell does."

"Uh, right. Field spell. It's the thing...that affects the thing and uh…Oh no!"

"Sit down! You worthless slacker! Oh, no-no-no neh! Is there anyone around here who can answer the question?" Crowler pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "And preferably someone not wearing red."

The Ras and the Obelisks started to laugh at all the Slifers in class.

Jaden scoffed. "You know somethin' teach. You really shouldn't be dissing us Reds. After all, I'm a Red and I beat you. So when you're making fun of us, you're kind of making fun of yourself."

"How dare you!"

Soon the whole class erupted into laughter. Even the higher ranking students had to agree with him there. Crowler clamped a pink handkerchief between his teeth and pulled on it.

When the final bell of the day rang, Alice felt her stomach drop. She felt like the pit was freezing over. It was time to face Boris and show him once and for all that she was not to be picked on.

She just hoped her Sacred Phoenix cards could handle whatever kind of deck he was using. True, Xyz, Links, and Pendulums had to take some getting used to, but anybody could pick them up and play with them once they figured out how to get them to work. The Slifer Red students were no exceptions, especially Boris, who felt confident enough to be hunting Obelisk Blue students with his gang.

As they approached the Dueling Fields, Jasmine and Mindy came down from the stairs, calling for them to wait up. They wanted to see Alice duel Boris as well.

"I wouldn't miss this!" Mindy said, placing her hand on Alice's shoulder. "I can't wait to see you show that bully what for."

"Speaking of which," Alexis said, stopping.

They saw Boris and his friends eating apples under the shade of a tree. Zack saw Alice with the others and elbowed Boris to let them know they had come.

"Well, Princess Pee showed up, huh?"

Alice stomped her foot on the ground. "That's getting so annoying! Stop that!"

"Aww, what wrong, princess? You gonna cwy?"

"Yeah, big baby!"

"Waaaaa! Waaa!"

"Oh, you mindless apes!" Alice shouted. "Look, you took my friend Jasmin's cards last night. She told me everything. I demand them back!"

Boris crossed his arms. "Pfft, you want her cards back? Fine, but I'm going to want something else, too. I want all three of you to fork over your binders of rare cards if Alice loses."

"What!"

"You can't do this, Boris!" shouted Alexis.

"I can and I will. You want Jazzy's cards back, fine I will. But I want something more when I win this duel. Now, all of you, put your binders up. Come on, let's see them."

Alice, Alexis, and Mindy took off their backpacks and held up their binders so he could see. He rubbed his hands together as though he were a pirate who found buried gold.

"Ooooo, lovely. Those books are nice and thick. So are you Alexis."

"Ugh, you pig. Alice. Show him what you've got."

"I will. You can count on me, Alexis"

Alice took off her jacket, loosened her tie, and rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. The she strapped on her Duel Disk. She followed Boris to a playing field near the river. Mindy, Jasmine, and Alexis sat down by a stump and watched with anticipation.

They had confidence in their friend, but deep down, they were still fearful that she might lose. They were putting up binders with more than $3000 worth of rare cards inside. One of them was a card Alexis could not part with. Meteor Black Comet Dragon. It was supposed to be a present for someone she held dear to her heart.

_Come on, Alice. I'm counting on you. I can't afford to lose that card. Not to mention, I don't want to pay to replace all these Red-Dragon Archfiend cards. It's going to cost me a lung._

"I'll go first!" Alice said. A holographic hand and complex interface glowing blue and green appeared in front of her. She took a deep breath and began.

**Boris 4000 LP**

**Alice 4000 LP**

**Turn 1**

"I summon Maju of the Ten Thousand Hands!"

She tapped the card, summoning a grey-bodied entity whose body seemed to be made of arms.

"Now, with Manju's effect, I can add a ritual monster to my hand. Next, I use the spell, Pre-Preparation of Rites! This card lets me add a ritual spell and monster to my hand. Now, I activate the ritual spell, Rebirth of Nephthys! I sacrifice Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and summon Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode!"

Manju growled when he was overtaken by blue flames which formed into a sorceress dressed in decorative blue robes that resembled the card Alice hoped to play soon and would give her an edge.

**Devotee of Nephthys**

**ATK/1200 DEF/1200**

The Devotee locked her hands in prayer, activating her special ability. "All right, now Devotee of Nephthys allows me to summon Matriarch of Nephthys. Now, I'm going to use them both to Link Summon, Nephthys, the Sacred Preserver!"

The two female sorceresses jumped into a portal with arrows marked around it. After a dazzling display of light and sparks, a giant statue of a winged creature stood over the field. Cauldrons blazed in the temple underneath it and strange hymns could be heard from within the chambers as if the women devoted to the winged goddess were praying for her.

****

**Nephthys, the Sacred Preserver**

**ATK/1200 LINK -2**

The eyes of the statue started glowing with blue flames, signaling Alice that it was time to activate one of its effects.

"Now, I can add a level eight Winged Beast monster and a ritual spell to my hand. From the graveyard, I return Devotee of Nephthys to the field at the cost of this monster I have in my hand. All right, now I have what I need to awaken the great phoenix from her slumber. I use Devotee of Nephthys and the Sacred Preserver to Link Summon, Nephthys, the Sacred Flame!"

The Devotee of Nephthys held her hands together and prayed. Soon, she was turned into a red flame, which was sucked into the statue. The portal with the arrows appeared in front of the statue, zapping it with electricity until it started to crack. The statue collapsed and a bright light erupted from inside, followed by a heavenly screech. Out of the statue's wreckage flew out a crimson red bird cloaked with white-gold flames.

****

**Nephthys, the Sacred Flame**

**ATK/2400 LINK-3**

"Wow! Pretty!" Mindy exclaimed.

"I now use Pot of Desires, banishing the top ten cards from my deck face down to draw two cards. I end my turn."

**Turn 2**

"You think your little chickens are enough to scare me? My turn! Okay, Alice, I'm going to show you what real dueling is all about! I play Pot of Greed and draw my two extra cards. Now, this is what I'm talking about baby! I summon Hieratic Dragon of Tefnuit!"

He put the card down on his red Duel Disk, which was scrapped and held together with duct tape. The hologram came out staticky making Boris curse and smack it hard with his palm until the picture was clear. The dragon looked like light made into an organic form protected with gold armor pieces.

****

**Hieratic Dragon of Tefnuit**

**ATK/2100 DEF1400**

Hold on a minute! Jasmine thought. Is that….

"What's going on?" asked Alice. "That dragon is level six! How were you able to normal summon it like that?"

"When you have a monster on the field and I don't, I can summon this guy to the field without tribute. Lucky for you, he can't attack. Impressed?"

"In your dreams."

"Oh, well then maybe this next move will. I use Monster Reborn and bring back your Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands back to my side of the field!"

Alice gulped. "Uh oh! He's planning to ritual summon a monster!"

"Not quite, dollface. I'm going to sacrifice my dragon and your monster to tribute summon Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!"

The monsters were consumed by fire which then rose to the sky and formed into a dragon with a golden body that glittered like a gold nugget. He was covered in spikes and had regal wings that looked like blades. His eye glimmered and he roared into the sky, announcing that he had arrived.

Jasmine stood up. "I knew it! Alexis! He's using my deck!"

"You serious? He took that, too!"

"Yes, that's the Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand my crush gave me. Look, it even has my lipstick stain on the front of the card."

Alice bared her teeth at Boris like an angry dog. "You're so despicable!"

"Finders keepers!" laughed Zack, the other members of the gang laughed and bump fists for God knows what reason.

"That's right," sneered Boris. "And now that he's been used as a tribute summon, heh, heh, I can use Hieratic Dragon's special ability and summon Hieratic Seal of the Sun Dragon Overlord!"

Alice felt the ground shaking. Boris laughed as giant orb with red glowing markings rose from behind him and blocked out the sun.

Boris scoffed. "He's a weak monster with no attack points, so let's sacrifice him for something much better. I use Felgrand and my Hieratic Seal to Link Summon, Hip Hoshiningen!"

A bright light burst from out the portal that consumed the two dragons and out came a golden star with a face. He was wearing boots and was covered with golden stars and he wore a gold star coronet on his head, with streamers coming out of his back in all the colors of the rainbow.

"Next, I'm bringing back my Felgrand with this card. Return of the Dragon Lords. Welcome back Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand. Hey, Jasmine, since you know all about him, I guess you should explain to Alice what his special power is, huh?"

"What does he mean, Jasmine?"

"When Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand is summoned from the graveyard, he can target a monster on your field or in your graveyard and banish it. Not only that, Felgrand gets one hundred attack points times the level of the monster he discarded."

"Good girl," said Boris. "Now, let's see what Alice's got for me to strengthen my dragon with?"

"Your dragon! He's mine!"

"Not anymore he's not," said Zack. "Now shut up, bitch! My brother's got a duel to win!"

Alexis held Jasmine's hand and squeezed it. "Calm down. I'm pretty sure Alice knows what to do to take care of this guy. Have a little faith, okay?"

Jasmine sniffed. Tears formed in her eyes. She felt so helpless seeing her cards being used by someone else. Even worse when that person was a person like Boris, who stole them from her. Alice tightened her fists. Now she was more determined than ever to win Jasmine's cards back from Boris. But could she survive dealing with this dragon though?

"All right, I think I'm gonna banish your chicken! No, I may not get the bonus from his effect, but that's what my Hip Hoshiningen is for! So long as he's out in the field, he gives light attribute monsters a five-hundred point boost, raising Felgrand Dragon's attack to 3300! All right, Felgrand! Banish that stupid chicken!"

His friends started to cheer and high-five one another. Alice was going to lose once her Phoenix was banished. In a few short moments, they would lose all their cards and Alice will be a member of his disgusting harem.

Mindy shielded her eyes. "Oh no!"

Alexis looked away. "Damn! This is going to leave Alice wide open for a direct attack from his monsters. She...she lost."

"Don't celebrate just yet, Boris!" shouted Alice.

"Huh?" Alexis looked back at the field.

"I activate the effect of my Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit!"

"Aw, no! A hand trap!"

"Yes!" Alexis cheered. "Oh my God, that was close!"

"What does she do, Alexis?" Mindy asked.

"When a card activates its effect, Alice can discard her Ghost Ogre and destroy it!"

Boris sneered. "Nice moves, but not good enough. Remember my card Return of the Dragon Lords? Well, all I have to do is banish it, and it will protect my dragon from being destroyed."

"FUCK!" shouted Alexis. "No! No! No!"

Sacred Phoenix shrieked and took off to do battle with Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand. It blew flames at her, she dodged, turning hard left like two fighter jets in a dogfight. But there was no escaping the effect. Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand intensified his beam and struck the bird down, banishing it.

"Now, Hip Hoshiningen, attack her directly!"

The star opened its eyes and shot rainbow laser beams at Alice, striking her hard on the chest and knocking her to the ground.

**Alice 2600 LP**

"Now, Alice, your ass is mine! Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand, attack her directly!"

The dragon hovered over Alice and assaulted Alice with a bath of hot flames. Alexis and the girls sighed. They felt as though someone had dropped an anchor on the chests. Boris and his boys were jumping up and down, excited to finally claim their prizes. They started marching down the hill to pick up the binders.

"I win, Alice. Now, girls, your binders are our now. Huh?"

The holograms were still up. Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand was crouched down and his wings were shielding him.

"What's this? The duel is still going on?"

"Yeah, it is," Alice said standing up. She coughed and fanned her face to get the smoke away from her nose. "Thanks to this little guy." She showed him the card that saved her. Sphere Kuriboh.

"Oh noooooo!"

"What happened?" Mindy asked. "I'm so confused. And I think I need new underwear."

Alexis laughed. "When she discards it from her hand, Sphere Kuriboh can force an attacking monster in defense mode. She's safe!"

"I don't think so, bitch! Not if my trap cards have anything to say about it!" He slapped the last couple of cards in his hand down.

**Turn 3**

"All right, Boris. It's time to show you the aces of my deck. But first, I'm using Raigeki to blast your dragon back to the graveyard!"

Alice conjured a powerful lightning storm. A strong bolt shot out of the sky and zapped Felgrand, shattering him to pieces. Boris's eyes were locked onto the spot where his dragon once stood. He was gone! Just like that? His legs started wobbling. This couldn't be happening, he thought. His pride was too great to be shattered like this. He couldn't lose. Not now. All those rare cards were so close. What were people going to think of him now that he was defeated by a person who wet herself when she got scared.

"No...n-n-no."

"Now, remember the card I used earlier to use Devotee's effect was none other than Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. And when she's destroyed by a card effect and sent to the graveyard, she can summon her!"

Flames burst out the ground in the center of the field. BOOM! From the explosion flew out a golden phoenix with a flaming plume on the top of her head. She screeched and spread her wings, which were coming out of her upper thighs.

**Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys**

**ATK/2400 DEF/1600**

****

"I hope you're not depending on those traps to do me any harm, Boris. When my phoenix returns from the graveyard, she can destroy all spells and traps on the field!"

Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys fired a beam of flames at his face-down cards, shattering them to pieces.

"Oh no! No! I'm wide open!"

"Yes, now I activate the spell card, Pre-Preparation of Rites, allowing me to add a ritual spell and monster to my hand. Now, I use Rebirth of Nephthys, tributing this monster in my hand to summon Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

This time, blue flames erupted from the ground. Another shriek echoed across the fields and then the flames formed into a cerulean colored version of the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.

**Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys**

**ATK/3000 DEF/1000**

"Attack him directly! Double Sacred Flame Attack!"

Both Sacred Phoenixes flew in circles around Boris. They surrounded him in a wall of bright yellow and cerulean flames and reduced his Life Points to 0.

"You did it!" cried Jasmine.

"Run for it!" Boris ordered.

"Hey! Come back here!" shouted Alice.

"My cards!" Jasmine cried.

They were going to run away from the deal, but then a Dragonic Knight appeared in front of them and stopped them in their tracks. Chazz walked out from behind a tree, hands in his pockets.

"Stealing cards, huh? Then again, you Slifer Slackers don't surprise me. Hand the cards back to the girl. Or there's gonna be trouble, Boris."

Boris heard growls behind him. He saw Chazz's friends surrounding the tree where Boris and his friends were hanging out. They had monsters out as well like Gilford the Lightning, Void Ogre Dragon, and Magical Musketeer Max.

"Well?" said Chazz.

"Fine!" shouted Boris. "I don't need this stupid, pathetic deck!" He put her deck back in its case and threw it at Alice's feet. Then Zack tossed her binder right on top of the pile.

Chazz nodded. "Good. Now, do you and your goons a favor and don't ever show your faces in our turf again. Otherwise, we'll hunt you down like the dogs you are. My father has Campus Security well in his pockets. Believe me, he'll make sure to make them look the other the way after what we do to you."

Boris turned and pointed his finger at Alice. "I won't forget this, Alice. Mark my words, the next time we meet, your chickens will get roasted! Let's go, boys."

The holograms disappeared and the field was empty and quiet.

"Not bad, Alice," Chazz said as he was walking away. "I guess you've proven why you're here with us. Just watch your back next time, cuz I won't always be around. Later."

Alice picked up Jasmine things. She was about to hand them back to her, but Jasmine raced towards her and wrapped her arms around her neck kissing her cheek over and over and over again.

"Jasmine! Jasmine! You're kissing me! You're kissing me!"

"All right, fish lips, back off," Alexis said, patting Jasmine's butt and getting her to step away.

"That was so great!" Jasmine said jumping up and down. "You really showed that asshole!"

"And you got her stuff back, too," Mindy said. "I was calm, though. Never doubted you for a second."

Alexis laughed. "Uh huh, and I guess your nails got chewed on by themselves. Ugh, there it goes again." Alexis turned Alice around and fixed her bow again. "Sheesh, do I have to glue this thing on you, or what?"

"Sorry," Alice said bashfully.

"Well, you did good, Alice. Your Sacred Phoenix cards were pretty impressive. I have no doubt in my mind the Red Arrows are going to love hae you on the team. Enora is known for having a sixth sense for talent. And I don't know about you, but I think you've got great potential."

"Thank you. You know, all of a sudden, those tryouts don't sound so scary anymore. I think I am ready to join the team."

"Well, you've got my support, Alice."

"And mine," said Jasmine. "Thanks for getting my cards back. I'll never forget this. Never."

Alexis shook her head, patting Jasmine on the shoulder. "All right, girls, I don't know about you, but I'm stressed out from all this excitement. Wanna wade in the springs to relax a bit?"

"Oh, I'm game," said Alice. "Let's go."

* * *

Dr. Crowler scratched his head and growled ferociously as he sat behind his desk. He concocted something terrible in his mind and began to write down a letter with a pink feather quill.

"How dare that slacker, Jaden, make a mockery of me in front of my class like that. Well, I'll show him once and for all. After Campus Security catches him committing this terrible act of debauchery, he's going to be on the first boat off Duel Academy."

He folded the letter and stuffed it in an envelope. Then, he applied purple lipstick and kissed the front of it and laughed.


	5. The Lords of the Swamp

Evan set down his backpack on his desk and slumped down on his bed exhausted from the long walk from school. He rubbed his hand up and down the side of his face and sighed.

Another bad day. Another big loss, this time he went up against a boy from chemistry class named Bastion, who he started to feel jealous of. He was a wiz in the class, helping students with their assignments and, in Evan's conceited opinion, was acting like a total show off.

What set him off was when he was assigned to do a project with two cute girls named Kami and Wisteria (Tag Force), both of whom were from Obelisk Blue. They weren't as prejudiced as the other students were, and acted somewhat nice to him, but Evan could tell from their looks that they wished they had someone better in their group.

Evan almost added a powder to the concoction, but Bastion yelled at him to stop from halfway across the room. He dashed toward him and grabbed his wrist with a vice-like grip.

It's a good thing Bastion noticed, otherwise Evan could have blown up their table. Bastion scorned him for not paying attention to the instructions and then Kami and Wisteria started praising Bastion for his intellect. After that, right away, they started swapping their phone numbers.

Once again, Evan's ego got the best of him, and he challenged Bastion after school right in front of the whole class. Bastion was not one who would stray from a challenge and accepted. He arrived at the lower level arenas later with his new friends trailing behind him.

Needless to say, the duel didn't go in Evan's favor.

Bastion's Water Dragon was just so powerful. His deck. It was like a gigantic science experiment. Bastion was famous for calculating people's decks with complicated -albeit unnecessary - equations. But during the duel, Bastion boasted that he didn't need to figure out the deck of someone like Evan.

Poor Evan didn't stand a chance against the damn Water Dragon. Then it evolved into Water Dragon Cluster, making the duel even harder. The water created with the Solid Vision tech literally washed Evan out of the arena. Kami and Wisteria cheered and followed the victorious Bastion out of the arena to the city on the other side of the island to have dinner.

Evan looked at his cards, flipping to see each and every one of them. He sighed and tossed his deck at the wall, the cards splattering in all directions.

"I'm never going to get far like this," Evan said. He held on tight to his gut, trying his hardest not to get cry. "My cards are crap! I...I always lose!"

What was he going to do? In just a few days, he developed a bad reputation for himself. Everyone in school was making fun of him. And deep down, he so wanted a girlfriend. Alice was the closest thing he had to a friend here, but he screwed that up because he couldn't help taking a peek when her skirt got lifted and exposed her. Now she hated him for that.

Evan figured he might have better luck dueling the other guys in his dorm. He went downstairs to the dining hall. It was like a rowdy tavern in there. A wooden fan slowly spun over the sitting area, which consisted of orange leather booths, each with a light hanging over them. A portrait of Slifer the Sky Dragon hung over the fireplace in a sitting area where some fellow Slifers were trading or playing games.

Hanging on the wall were pictures of hot female pro duelists modeling bikinis at the beach. A centerfold of Mai Valentine lying on her belly in the surf wearing nothing but a tight black bikini was the creme-dela-creme of the collection. There was a picture of a girl in a blue bikini lying on her back, but her head was covered by a picture of Alexis Rhodes's face.

Mumble rap played from someone's phone, amplified by speakers at the corner of a table. The owner was a kid with a black pompadour hairstyle selling rare cards from a big black binder. He had fake gold and silver rings on his fingers to make himself look like a gangster. Evan walked up to his booth to see if he could afford any of the cards he was selling.

"How do you do?" said the boy. "Name's Jonas Miller. I'm the Slifer Red's supplier of rare cards. Now, what can I interest you in? Go on, take a look, everything's for sale. And there's a discount on normal rares I'm sure will tickle your fancy."

"Great,"Evan said, sitting down. He flipped through the binder and noticed that they had numbers at the bottom of the sleeves next to a big C. "What's that mean?" Evan asked.

"What's that mean?" Jonas laughed. "Man, you've been on this island like what? Three days, and you don't know what Academy Credits are?"

"N-n-no. I...I haven't really gotten up to speed with anything."

"You sure look like it. Well, Chancellor Sheppard put in this really cool system to help ease the financial burden off the students. Academy Credits are a form of currency that us students earn when we participate in duels. What we earn depends on what we rank we earned at the end of the match, with the top rank being S. You get graded or penalized depending on what you did to win the match. The higher the rank, the higher your payout will be. You can use these credits to pay for booster packs, structure decks, sleeves, and even cool decorations for your Duel Disk."

"That sounds pretty neat. Well, I have played a few matches. Maybe I have some credits on me."

"All right, open up your academy PDA and let's see what you've earned."

Evan found the app that let him check how many credits he had. His face sunk when he saw that he only had 150. Jonas started laughing.

"Sounds like somebody's been losing a lot. Yeah, I can see why you've come to me for help."

"What does it matter," Evan said, gloomily flipping through the pages. "I can't afford any of these. I need to get good cards so I can play better."

"You want good cards, you need good credits. Of course, you can always pay with real cash."

"An option for bottom of the barrel students like me, huh?"

"Well, everyone gets their equal chance somehow, right? Look, I don't condone what those gangs are doing out there, but if you hang with them, you can score some good cards without having to worry about paying up."

"You mean steal?

"That's one way to put it. Look, those are the only options you got. You can either scrape up credits with each loss of yours and buy just one card here in my collection. Or you can roll with one of the gangs and take what you want by force. There's strength in numbers, you know. So long as they don't get physical or hurt anyone, there's nothing Campus Security can do to stop them."

"I guess so," Evan said. "That's really the only option I've got. I'll go try joining that group Boris hangs around with."

"Look, it's good that you're aiming high, but that's too high. Boris and his boys are total scumbags, but they're really good. And now's not a good time to be seeing him. Boris is in a foul mood because he lost to some girl earlier today."

"A girl?"

"Yeah, some cutie named Alice. Her Sacred Phoenix cards mopped the floor with him. I saw it on the vids not too long ago. Man, I've never seen him so distressed in my life. He really got his ass kicked."

"Well, that's one thing me and him have in common. I want to get back at Alice Fenix myself."

"Oh, you know her?"

"I used to. I didn't mean to upset her, but she got mad and slapped me before she finally stood me up."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. Some Duel Monster flew up from behind her and created this wind. And...well…"

Jonas laughed, slamming his fist on the table. "Let me guess, her skirt went up and you saw home base, eh? Dude, you probably didn't even try to make it look like you didn't notice. If that's the case, I don't blame her. If you were a girl, would you ever want to see a guy who looked at you the way you did her ever again?"

"I guess not, but it was an accident."

"You should have looked away and been a gentleman about it, especially towards girls who are higher ranked than us. Anyways, if you feel you wanna have your revenge against her, I ain't gonna stop you. But you're not gonna fix things with her if you go this route."

"I don't need her. And she doesn't need me, she made that very clear." Evan rubbed his cheek as though it still stung from the slap Alice gave him the other day. "Do you know where I can find Boris?"

Jonas sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. "All right. If you want to join him that badly, I guess he's probably over at the coasts trying to show off his authority to the higher-ranked Slifer Students. May God be with you. He's not in the mood to see anyone right now.'

Evan nodded. He stood up and thanked Jonas, then walked out to look for Boris. The sun was starting to set behind the horizon and the creatures of the night began their eerie chorus. Evan dashed for the coasts as far as he could, which wasn't much. After running for a few minutes, his sides began to hurt.

By the time he reached the coastal dormitories, the sun had gone down and night had enveloped the island in darkness. Seagulls still called out from the dark skies. The lights from the lamps lining the road cast the living area with an orange glow. Evan saw Boris and his gang storming down a lit path surrounded by palms into the jungle.

"Hey!" Evan cried out.

He tried to catch up to them, but he was completely worn out. After what seemed like hours, Evan noticed what looked like a cabin made of glass tile and wood with a lamp hanging over the door. The air was moist and there were puddles all over the ground. He heard laughing coming from the bushes nearby. On the edge of the light cast by the lone lamp over the door, he could make out red jackets and black slacks. It was Boris and his friends. Evan slowly walked up to them.

"Hey, you Boris?"

"Shhhhh!" Boris and his friends all said.

"Shut up, dumbass! You're going to blow our cover!" said a guy with blue hair underneath a black beanie.

"What do you mean?"

Boris sniggered. "Hey, you're Evan, right? Yeah, I heard a lot about you. They say you're making us Slifer look really, really, bad."

"I know that's why I…"

"Shhhh!"

"Shut up!" growled Zack.

"What's going on?" Evan asked.

Boris sniggered. "Take a look," he said, stepping aside to reveal a long, narrow hole with a warm orange glow coming out of it.

Evan knelt down and peered through it. He saw nothing. Something pale was blocking the way. He shivered, realizing what he was looking at was a long, slender leg. When the owner of the leg stepped aside it revealed that it was the Slifer Red girls' showers. They were washing themselves very thoroughly and it looked like they were having a good time in there.

"AUUUUGHH!" Evan cried out.

Boris and his friends smacked their hands over his mouth. Evan could still see inside. The girls noticed his scream and started to panic, grabbing towels to cover themselves.

"Oh, God! Someone's watching us!"

"Who's out there!?"

Suddenly a girl Evan recognized walked out of her shower stall and wrapped a pink towel around herself. Evan's eyes widened. Trix! Trix! Trix!

"What's happening?" Trix asked, her face blushing. "Is there some perv trying to see us naked?"

"I don't know, I heard something from outside," screeched a girl with green hair. "Someone do something."

"Hang on a second," Trix said. He grabbed a bucket and filled it with boiling hot water from the shower stall. She noticed the hole in the wall and guessed the perv was outside looking at them from there. What he probably failed to notice was the vent on the wall overhead. She tossed the hot water through it.

AUUUUUGGGGHHHHH! It sounded like a direct hit.

"There is someone out there!" screamed a girl.

Trix blocked the hole with a bottle of shampoo."Fuck that! There's lots of them! Those were multiple screams! HUON! HUON! HUON HELP!"

"HUON!"

"HUON!"

HELP! HELP!"

"HUON HELP!"

Boris and his friends took off running, leaving Evan rolling around in the mud in agony. That water burned him, and he took most of the hit. Suddenly, a very loud barking echoed in the night.

"Run!" shouted the guy with the beanie. "It's Huon!"

Evan didn't need to hear that twice. He got up and ran after them. The barking was getting closer and he heard a tag jingling from the shadows. He was getting closer. Evan didn't care about the pain in his sides anymore. This was a dog that could hunt and kill lions. What would it do if it sunk its teeth into him? He didn't want to stop and find out.

Evan followed Boris and his gang into the jungle back into the swamps. Huon's barking faded, but they didn't want to stop and find out if he was chasing them or not. Finally, the saw the warm glow of their dorm shining like a jewel in the middle of the swamp. Once they reached the front garden, they stopped and fell to the ground to catch their breath.

"Phew," Evan breathed. "Man, that was close. HURK!"

One of Boris's boys grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and lifted him up. "Yeah, no thanks to you, idiot!"

"Yeah, you ruined such a beautiful moment for us. They were just getting started."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Evan begged them to let him go.

Boris walked up from behind the guy holding up Evan. "What were you doing all the way out there looking for us, Freshman?"

"I...I just wanted to join your gang."

"And why the hell would we do that?" asked Zack.

"I need to have good cards in my deck. I heard you guys are the best group in the whole dorms who can help with that. Please, I'm desperate."

Boris nodded. "Yo, Seth. Teach this punk some manners. If he wants to join the Red Crusaders, he's gonna have to prove he's no wuss."

Seth, the boy with the blue hair and black beanie stepped forward, holding up his wrist to show off the black Duel Disk underneath. "Well, let's go! Get you stuff out and let's play."

Evan did as he was told. He was nervous, but hey, this guy was a Slifer Red like he was. Maybe this match would be a lot easier. He followed them to the back of the dorms. It was even darker back there. The lamps on the side of the building did very little to illuminate anything.

**Seth 4000 LP**

**Evan 4000 LP**

**Turn 1**

"You're going down, reject!" Seth said. "I'll go first. Hmm, this hand sucks. So I'm going to use Card Destruction. Now we discard our hands and draw the same amount of cards we had before. Hmm, that's much better. I set two cards face-down and summon a monster in defense mode. Let's see what you got."

Evan felt a little confident. It wasn't too bad. At least he wasn't swarming the field with monsters like the higher ranking students did.

"All right. Bring it on! You hear me. Bring it on!" he shouted loudly and caused an awkward silence. He coughed and drew. "For my first move. I use Polymerization, fusing M-Warrior One and Two to make Karbonola Warrior!"

The purple knight could barely be seen in the dark. But Evan could make out the gold and silver trim of his armor. The holographic stats appeared beside him showing 1500 ATK. Evan took a deep breath and ordered his warrior to attack. He let out a loud battle cry that startled Evan and forced him to cover his ears. The battle cry echoed into the swamps and the warrior charged, the steel of his sword flashing in the moonlight.

CLLCKKK! His sword cut apart something boney. Evan smiled when he saw he just took out a Skull Servant, a practically worthless monster in his book.

"Yeah! Ha! A Skull Servant? Seriously? Even I know he's the most pitiful monster in the game. What are you doing running that thing? You're not so tough!"

"I hope you're enjoying yourself while it lasts, Evan. Because this next monster is going to make you piss your pants the way your friend Alice did."

"She's not my friend! She never will be."

**Turn 2**

"Ooo, of course, she ain't. She's an Obelisk! She's the enemy, get that. They never look at us as equals. Just trash or some cockroach that needs to be squashed. We used to be laughed at, but thanks to Boris, the Obelisks and the Ras have grown to respect us, soon they'll fear us. But that can't happen if suckers like you get all chummy with them. Got it? Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. I use the trap card, Call of the Haunted. What this card does is revive a monster from my graveyard."

_Oooooooooo!_

Ghostly howls filled the night like the wind, causing Evan to shiver. His teeth chattered and he felt a trickle of urine going down his pants. He gulped. Boy, this Solid Vision Tech was a little too real. Certainly not like the games he and his friends had back home. It was times like this that he wished he was back there instead of dealing with these scary holograms.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Seth's feet started to quake. A bony arm reached out. Then a skull with flaming blue eyes came out of the muck. Skull Servant was back.

"Now, I'm going to sacrifice my Skull Servant in order to summon the mighty Lich Lord, King of the Underworld!"

Skull Servant burst, his bones scattered everywhere, clinking and clattering along the rocks. Then a skull with bones the color of decay took its place. He grew black feathered wings and a robe magically formed over him, with a plate of steel over the right shoulder. He held out his hand and a golden staff with a red jewel crowning the top formed. He wrapped his bony fingers around it and flew over the field. Evan could barely see him. All he could make out was a dark red silhouette and burning red eyes. His black feathers were outlined in silver from the moonlight.

**Lich Lord, King of the Underworld**

**ATK/2400 DEF/1200**

**(ATK 2400 → 2900)**

Evan felt the air getting cold. He could see his breath forming in a cloud in front of him. "What? What happened? Why did his attack points go up?"

"Because we're in a swamp," Boris replied. "Zombies thrive in the swamp. And guess what Lich Lord is?"

"Oh, man."

Seth growled as he smiled. "That will teach you to laugh at me, fool! Lich Lord, King of the Abyss, attack his Karbonala Warrior!"

Lich Lord let out a horrible groaning roar and used his staff to suck the life out of Evan's fusion warrior. The warrior's skin shriveled up until it became dust and left his bones behind, which exploded.

**Evan 2600 LP**

**Seth 4000 LP**

**Turn 3**

"This...this is not good. I draw." Hmm, this is the Man-Eater Bug. Perfect. If he attacks me with his zombie, I'll be able to destroy it with this card. Hopefully he has nothing left in his deck for me to worry about. All right, and this is the Mirror Force card my sister gave me and Draining Shield, too, which increases my Life Points by the attacking monsters' attack points. So even if Seth does swarm a bunch of monsters out on the field, I'll be ready for him.

"I set a monster in defense mode and set these cards face-down. That ends my turn."

**Turn 4**

"If that's all you can muster, I'm sorry to say that the game is over. First off, I use Pot of Greed and draw two extra cards. I activate the effect of my Plaguespreadder Zombie! I send a card from my hand back to the top of my deck and I get to special summon him."

"He sure is creepy looking," Evan said with a shiver, but he was quite confident his defenses would keep him safe.

"Oh, he's about to get worse, I can assure you. Next, I activate my trap card, Ultimate Offering. Now, by paying 500 of my Life Points, I can make an extra summoning. Now, first off, I'm summoning Gernia in attack mode. Now, I use my trap to pay 500 Life Points to summon the mighty King of the Skull Servants!"

The earth shook and then a giant version of Skull Servant rose out of the swamp behind Seth. Its eyes burned blue. Evan felt like he was in the middle of a Dark Souls game facing that creature.

"You thought Skull Servants were weak, huh? Yeah, alone they're not much. But together, they can form an unstoppable army. Picture them as a less handsome version of us Slifer Reds. Alone, the other students look at us as weak. They can laugh at us. They can ridicule us, but just like these skeleton monsters, there's a burning resolve to show the world we're so much more. Together, we can form a powerful force that can make them fear us. Just like you are right now, Evan. A while ago, you were laughing at my Skull Servant for being weak. Well, who's laughing now?"

**King of the Skull Servants**

**ATK/? DEF/ 0**

**(ATK ? → 4000)**

"Wait, why did his attack points rise so high?"

"Remember when I trashed my hand earlier with Card Destruction? Well, I had two more Skull Servants and another King of the Skull Servants in my hand. King of the Skull Servants' original attack points become the number of Skull Servants and King of the Skull Servants times 1000. I have four skull monsters. You do the math. Ah, speaking of which, don't forget we're in the swamp. So my King of the Skull Servants gains an additional 500 attack and defense points."

**(ATK 4000 → 4500)**

Evan dug his sneakers deep into the dirt. I'm ready, Come on. Attack me. I dare you!

"Now for the final soldier in my army of the undead. Synchro Summon! I tune Plaguespreadder Zombie and Gernia to call upon Revived King Ha Des!"

A robed fiend with rotting skin rose out of a pink-colored hexagram. He cackled and spread his arms to make his robes look like wings.

****

**Revived King Ha Des**

**ATK/2450 (→ 2950) DEF/0 (→ 500)**

Evan felt a tear roll down his face. He was horribly frightened by these undead creatures. Boris let out a terrible laugh. "Damn, Seth. Take it easy, man."

Seth couldn't help but snort. "I don't think so. I hope you aren't going to use those spells on me, man. Now, I use this card. Lightning Storm! Nabbed this of an Obelisk the other day. Boy does it sure come in handy. I get to choose to destroy either all your monsters or all your spells and traps. And I'm going for your traps!"

Dark clouds covered up the moon. All Evan could see of the zombies were their glowing eyes and their illuminated ornaments. Then, lightning crashed from the clouds and destroyed Evan's traps.

"Help! Help!" he cried.

Seth howled and held out his fist. "Now, Lich Lord, attack his face-down monster!"

Lich Lord zapped Man-Eater Bug with a beam from his staff. The giant insect growled, fighting through the beam, ready to take one of Seth's monsters down with him.

"When Man-Eater Bug gets…"

"I know what he does, Evan. But don't think for a second that its effect is going to destroy my monsters. Revived King Ha Des will negate your monster's effects when they battle against my zombies. Too bad. Now, King of the Skull Servants! End this duel!"

King of the Skull Servants conjured a flaming sword and smashed it on Evan, ending the duel.

"Nothing to it, Boris."

Boris fist-bumped his friend when he came back. "My man!"

"Hold...on!" Evan said, struggling to get back on his feet. "I demand...I demand another duel. I'm sure I can get one of you guys this time."

"Is this guy for real, bro?" Zack asked. He blew a bubble with his chewing gum it went out with a loud pop.

"Come on! Come on!"

The skateboarder, whose name was Skylar, walked forward. "I'll take him on."

Evan and Skyler started their duel. Skyler skipped his turn, then Evan summoned Ax Raider to attack his Life Points directly and powered him up with all the equip spells in his hand raising his attack more than 3000.

He attacked, but Skyler banished 8 cards from the top of his deck to summon a mechanical monstrosity known as Gizmek Orochi, the Serpentron Sky Slasher. At 2450, it wasn't enough to hold back Ax Raider, but Skyler didn't mind at all.

On his next turn, he used two Pot of Desires and banished 20 cards to draw four cards. Evan thought he was nuts trashing his deck like that. Until he summoned his ace. He wasn't a rare monster, but if played the right way, he was a force to be reckoned with. Gren Maju Da Eiza.

His attack and defense points equaled the amount of banished cards Skyler had times 400. And he had 28 cards that were banished, which totaled to 11,200 attack points, the highest Evan had ever seen in his life.

The powered monster slashed Ax raided in half with his claws and took Evan down with one hit. Still, Evan got back up for more. He really wanted to prove himself to the gang.

"All right, all right," Boris said. "Hold on now, everybody. I think he's got spunk, this one."

"Spunk?" Zack asked.

"Yeah. Backbone. No matter how many hits he takes, he's willing to take more and step up to the plate. Those are the makings of a good duelist."

"Boss, you can't seriously be considering him to join the gang are you?" Skyler said with disapproval. "He lost all the matches."

"The deal was he had to impress me. And impress me he has. All right, Evan, you want good cards. No problem. We'll give you access to our stash. But first, you've got to show me you've really got what it takes to be a Red Crusader."

"What do I have to do?"

"You're going to have to pull a few favors for us. Meet up with Skyler and Seth tomorrow. They'll inform you on your first task. Don't screw up, kid. This is your only chance."


	6. Successor of Red-Eyes

"Jaden...Jaden…" Syrus tried his hardest to wake his friend up. Nothing. Jaden was sound asleep and snoring loudly. Drool oozed out of the side of his mouth, forming a huge dark spot on his pillow.

Syrus had the window open to let in a fresh breeze, and he hoped the loud sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below would help to wake him up. The seagulls flying around out there sure woke Chumley up. He growled and commanded Syrus to shut the window now before he got out of bed to throw him out of it.

"But we have to get to class!" Syrus shouted to wake Jaden up. "What in the world was he doing last night anyway?"

"He was at his deck fixing up his deck or something," Chumley replied, rubbing his hands over his beady eyes.

"Why would he do that?"

"What the hell do I care? Just shut that damn window before there's trouble."

"Jaden!" Syrus tried shaking him awake. "Jaden, come on." Syrus grew fed up. He was a nice guy, but even his patience had its limits. He went for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He poured it over Jaden's face. Jaden gurgled and raised his head up, knocking it against one of the metal bars above him.

"Ouch! What gives?" he cried out, rubbing his forehead.

"We need to get to class, Jaden. We don't wanna be late for Duel Alchemy."

"Duel Alchemy? I don't know what's the point. Professor Banner is a nice guy, but in the world would alchemy serve me as the King of Games?"

"You really believe you're going to be the next King of Games, don't you?"

"You bet."

Chumley sighed. "Well, if you wanna be the next King of Games, there are a lot of guys you have to beat around here. Chazz is one of them. And don't forget that hotshot, Zane. There's also some guy in our ranks with a Red-Eyes deck that's got the attention of the higher-ups, even Crowler shows him respect."

"Who's he?" Syrus asked.

"Don't know, I don't go out there much. All I know is that he's dating that girl, Trix."

"You mean the girl with the Dragunity deck?" Syrus asked. He sighed sadly and hung his head. "Aww, she's taken. Just my luck."

Jaden laughed, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Hey, don't feel bad, Sy. I'm sure there are plenty of fish in the sea. But, uh, do you know anything about this Red-Eyes player?"

Syrus shook his head and shrugged. "Not a thing. This is a surprise to me. I didn't think there was anybody in our dorm who could even get Crowler's respect. I guess the only way you can find out anything about this guy is to look for Trix."

"All right, sounds good to me. She should be in the dorm down below, right?"

"Good luck getting in there," said Chumley. "The Slifer Girls' dorm is like a fortress. And that dog of theirs, Huon, ain't no playful puppy."

"Yeah," Syrus said looking at Jaden. "And don't forget they're on high alert right now. Did you guys hear? There were some real creeps spying on the girls in their showers last night. I heard Huon barking last night like crazy. That must have been him chasing them away."

"Who'd be low enough to do a thing like that?" Jaden said getting serious. "Man, that's just wrong on so many levels."

Chumley scoffed. "Aw, come on, Jaden. Like you never wanted to see a girl naked before."

Jaden went red and chuckled nervously. "Well, uh, I guess but, not like that."

"Yeah, right. You two better get going now. It's almost that time."

Jaden went to the outhouse to change and wash up. Then he and Syrus had a quick bite to eat at one of the cafes along the way and took the train to the academy. Syrus looked out the window to view the jungle whooshing by outside.

"Hey, Jay, you're serious about taking on that Red-Eyes player, right?"

Jaden finished eating the last of his sweet bun before answering. "Yeah," he answered with his mouth full, "he sounds like just the kind of opponent I'm looking for, Sy."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that. Well, don't you think you should see what he's like first of all? I mean, what if you barge in there and he trounces you. Didn't you once say that you must always come prepared? Well, scouting your opponent's deck is one way of preparing to go against them."

"I guess, but decks change all the time, Syrus. People are always switching things up, which is great! It totally makes things fun."

"I wish I had your confidence," Syrus replied rather glum. He looked out the window again and sighed. "I really don't think I belong here."

"What makes you say that?"

"Nevermind. Just don't expect me to be dueling any time soon. I just...I'm not ready yet."

"Come on, Syrus, don't be like that. You're starting to bum me out, too."

The magnet train began to slow down and stopped at the central academy station. Syrus nervously drank a long gulp of water to wake himself up and prepare mentally for the long day ahead.

Around midday, the sky was getting terribly cloudy. The wind was howling and the waves grew restless. Small raindrops dotted the windows and a flash of lightning could be seen. Jaden came out of the locker rooms wearing a black shirt and black shorts accented with red. Yup, he was all set for his first session of gym class. Clearly, this was not something he was looking forward to. He didn't want to run, or do exercises, or play ball. He just wanted to get his cards out and duel.

Their instructor told them to run laps around the track and off they went. Jaden had no trouble keeping up with the others. He approached two Obelisk Blue students up front who were talking about the Red-Eyes student from Slifer Red. Apparently, he defeated someone from their dorm a few hours ago.

"He completely destroyed Marcus," said the Obelisk with glasses. "I thought he could finally show him who's boss, but it looks like I was wrong. It didn't even look like he was trying."

"Meh," said the red-haired Obelisk. "Marcus wasn't all that good anyway. I always knew he truly belonged in the Ra Yellow dorm. The only reason why he's in Blue with us is because of his father and his connections."

"Hah. Isn't that why you're in the dorm, too?"

"No way. My dad may know people in Kaiba Corp, but they never would have helped me if I didn't have the skills to get in. Do you have any clue who this Red-Eyes duelist from Slifer is?"

"Not a thing. He came in with the other rookies, so I guess that's why I kinda overlooked him coming in. Apparently his skills are so impressive that even Crowler's wetting his pants for him. I heard from Chazz that the doctor's even pulling recommendations out his ass to get him to come to Obelisk Blue with us."

"I don't get it. If he's so skilled, what's he doing in the Red dorm?"

"He's a skilled duelist, but his scores are bottom of the barrel low. If it wasn't for the fact that he knows how to run those Red-Eyes Black Dragon cards, he wouldn't have even made it to the academy in the first place."

"Things aren't looking good for our dorm, man. First that Slifer slacker, Jaden Yuki, beats the head teacher of our dormand now we got more Reds beating Blues. I'm telling you, except for Chazz, Elizabeth, and Zane, this year's Obelisk is the pits."

"Aww, come on! What about that girl, Alice Fenix? She gave the leader of the Red Crusaders a walloping the other day. And I heard from the girls that she's going to join the Red Arrows."

"She's still a rookie. Beginner's luck is what it was. I could have taken on Boris. And I seriously doubt she'll join the team. They're really picky about who gets in, you know that. Alice doesn't stand a chance at her tryouts."

Jaden was quite intrigued by this. Even though he was getting worn out after four long laps around the stadium, he couldn't help but form a smile hearing that Boris was taken down. That guy and the other duel gangs made him and the rest of the Reds look really bad, worsening their already meager reputation. He had a mind to beat Boris himself ever since he learned what a bully he was. But this girl. Alice. Maybe she would be a fun person to duel.

As the students continued running their laps, Dr. Crowler dashed from hallway to hallway at lightning speed. He approached the boy's locker room, silently chuckling with that horrible wide grin of his. He checked his left and right, making sure nobody was around. The coast was clear, and he snuck into the locker room. His face folded in displeasure. It smelled horribly of Blade body spray in there. Did these guys really think poisoning the air with that garbage was going to get a flock of girls to come storming into the locker room? There were a few guys showering, but their drapes were closed shut and they were loudly singing a crude song.

Dr. Crowler looked around and spotted Jaden's boots conveniently placed in an open locker.

"Perfect," Crowler cackled, rubbing his hands together. He took the letter out from a compartment in his coat and placed it on top of his boots. Once the deed was done, he hurried outside just in time before Syrus barged into the locker room, his face red with embarrassment.

"Damn, girls' locker room! Why couldn't they make the signs bigger?" He whimpered. There was a small bump on his head from when a girl tossed her Duel Disk at him to scare him out. It barely missed him, but the edge still cocked him though. It stung awfully, but not as much as the embarrassment of walking into the girl's locker room. He sauntered towards his locker and opened the door.

"Huh? Oh, Jaden's boots. Guess he's still borrowing my locker." He was upset that Jaden didn't seal the door tight with its lock. He left it inside irresponsibly. But his frustrations were soon quelled when he saw the letter on top of the boots.

"What's this?" Syrus wondered, holding the letter. He saw the lipstick stain on the front and went red. "A love letter!" He started reading it aloud. The girl who sent him this note was passionately in love with him. The erotic language and descriptions of his body made him shiver. And the way he made her feel sent a chill down his spine. And the girl who left him the note was…

"ALEXIS RHODES!" Syrus cried out before falling backward over the wooden bench behind him. "Oh, man! This...this has to be the best day of my life."

He looked at the letter again.

"Wow, she wants me to meet her tonight at the Obelisk Blue Girls' dorm on Friday night. Th-th-that's tomorrow!" He skimmed under the PS. "Oh, wow! She even gave me a map for me to sneak into the dorm to meet her. Wow, this must be a secret passage to get to their dorm. Oh, boy! I can't wait!"

He heard the shower stalls turn off. Then he recognized one of the voices of the guys inside the stall. It was Seth.

"Uh oh! The Red Crusaders!" Syrus quickly changed and dashed out of the locker room before they came out.

Seth and a few other members of the gang walked out, not caring that they were going to miss their session of gym. They didn't care about it too much, not unless Professor Fontaine was the one teaching it. And unfortunately, she wasn't.

"After we get the stash from Evan, let's head back to the cave. I need a smoke."

"Uh, guys," a timid voice said from behind the tiled wall. It was Evan.

"So, there he is," Seth said, putting a towel over his neck. He crossed his arms and gave a nod. "So, did you get the stuff?"

"I can't believe you made me do this," Evan said, handing him a burlap sack Boris gave him last night. It was filled with underwear he stole from the girls' locker room.

"What did you get?" Seth asked, looking through the bag.

Evan gulped, hoping the stuff he stole from the girls would be enough to impress his new friends. "Uh, let's see. I got a watch from that girl Alyssa, two unopened booster packs from some chick with short hair, I forget her name...Oh yeah! Madison. Next, I swiped a Dragunity card belonging to Trix and something I know you might like, Seth. I managed to snatch a pair of panties belonging to that girl, what's her name...Ah, Kami!"

"Nice..." Seth said with a sick nod.

Evan formed a confident grin. "I thought you'd like that. And I also took a ruby ring from that girl with the pink hair. Wisteria, right? I would have looked for stuff in Jasmine and Mindy's locker, but that dumbass, Syrus, burst into the locker room and almost blew my cover."

"Fucking Syrus," Seth said, closing the bag. "I assume you didn't get anything from Alexis either."

"Are you kidding? I have to be a hacker to unlock that device she keeps on her locker. I didn't even have time to look at the manufacturer, all the girls went into a frenzy and started attacking Syrus to scare him out."

"Well, you managed to get something," Seth said.

"What are you going to do with their stuff?"

"None of your business. All right, since you got three, you get three cards from my binder. However, since you didn't get Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy's rare items, you can only choose from my normal rare collection."

"What? But...but that's so unfair! Do you know what I had to do to get in there?" He pointed at a gash on his cheek that he got when he dove out the window. "I told you, the girls went into a panic when Syrus ran in. He ruined everything! And I told you, Alexis's locker is sealed tight. There's no getting inside."

"Well, you had a job and unfortunately, you didn't have the skills to bust into our three main targets. We're looking for talented individuals to join the gang. Still, you managed to get some good loot from the others. For that, you get three normal rares and you're lucky to get that! Everyone knows that at least one of these guys is better than anything in that vanilla deck of yours. Now, are you going to choose what you want? Or are you going to pass and quit?"

Evan sighed sadly. "I'll take them."

Seth went to his locker to get his backpack. He took the binder out and laid it on the wooden aisle bench. Evan felt greed welling up his throat at the first fifty pages of Seth's binders. There were golden cards, shiny cards, all shimmering in every foil imaginable. But then he got to the back pages where the cards were common rare, notable from the silver letters on the top.

Evan chose Karate Man, Tenkabito Shien, and a trap called Reinforcements.

By the time class ended, a storm had struck the island. Even though it was early in the afternoon, the skies had darkened so much that all the lights in the academy had to be turned on. But the students were safe and warm inside the academy, many of them flocked to the arenas to watch friendly matches. A small group of friends even started a small tournament, which got the attention of a few students who wanted to participate.

"Man, look at all this action!" Jaden said running towards a railing on the second floor of the arena. A giant crystal chandelier hung from above, washing everything in a warm and regal glow. A giant glass water wall was on the west side of the arena. The water flowing from it formed rivers, which separated each of the ten playing fields. It was the most incredible thing Jaden had ever seen in his whole life.

"Isn't this amazing!" Jaden cried out. He sniffed the air. "Aww, nice! They've got food! They're serving food down there, Sy. Check it out!"

"I see it, I see it," Syrus said, rubbing his stomach. "Man, I could go for a hot dog right about now. Wow, this place is like a palace. Ha! Sure beats that Obelisk Blue arena, huh?"

"Yeah, what in the hell were those guys on about! This is so much better! Everyone regardless of their dorm is here to play and have fun! This is the environment I've been craving, Syrus. This is just fantastic."

"I wonder if all that stuff about the dorm rivalries were just stories," Syrus said looking around. "It seems like everyone here has disregarded their colors and just want to play."

"Well, I guess it would be wrong to single out everyone here just because of the actions of a few like that guy Boris. Man, I wonder who to duel first!"

"You won't have any trouble there, Jay. You're the guy who beat Crowler. Everybody's going to want to duel you. Hey, look, there she is Jay. Trix!"

Jaden scanned the dueling arenas below and then spotted the fiery red-head Syrus was talking about. She was about to start a duel against a purple-haired girl from Slifer Red named Jewels.

"I summon Dragunity Militum!" Trix called out. "Then activate the effect of my Dragunity Arma Mystletainn! By sending Militum to the graveyard, I can special summon it to the field!"

She summoned a big yellow armored dragon equipped with a broad longsword colored white and black. The dragon let out steam from between its teeth and let out a snarl like an alligator.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1500**

"I end my turn."

**Turn 2**

Jewels gulped nervously. "Wow, he sure looks strong. Let's see what I can do. I set a card face-down and summon Trance Archfiend in attack mode. I end my turn. I think…" She checked her hand for more options. "Yeah, that's all for me."

**Turn 3**

"My turn. I summon Dragunity Phalanx! Next, I activate the spell, Dragunity Mastery! Now, I equip Dragunity Phalanx with Dragunity Arma Leyvaten from my hand. Now with Mastery's effect, my monsters equipped with Dragunity cards get a 500 point boost. Now, I attack your Trance Archfiend with Arma Mystletainn and attack "

"Still a rookie," Jaden said with a shake of his head. "She still has a lot to learn."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I saw that Dragunity Phalanx in her hand. I don't know why she didn't summon him first, she could have used him to use as tribute for Arma Leyvaten instead. Had she done that, she could have pulled off some sweet combos."

Syrus nodded, feeling a little better knowing he wasn't the only one prone to making mistakes. "Oh, I see. Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who makes mistakes."

"Hey, it happens to all of us."

**Turn 4**

"My turn! I summon Whiptail Crow in attack mode and destroy your Dragunity Phalanx!"

"And would you look at that," said Jaden. "Nothing in her back row to protect her monsters."

"Wow, you'd think you'd lay a trap or something to protect your monsters."

"She can't," Jaden said with a chuckle. "She doesn't have any in her hand. I'm willing to bet her deck doesn't have all that much to begin with."

**Turn 5**

"I summon Dragunity Legionnaire!" shouted Trix. "And I'll use his special ability to equip him with Dragunity Phalanx! Now, I use Legionnaire's second ability. I can pop Phalanx and destroy one monster you control!"

"Oh no!" Jewels cried.

The falcon-headed Dragunity Legionnaire spread his green wings and flapped them rapidly to create hurricane-force winds that shredded Whiptail Crow, leaving Jewels wide open. Legionnaire and Arma Mystletainn doubled teamed her, reducing her Life Points to 0.

Jaden was pumped. "Hey, she was able to turn it around. Man, she makes a few mistakes and still ends up winning. Man, now I've got to duel her."

"Jaden wait!" Syrus called out. Jaden was already dashing down the steps. "Oh, man. Wait up!"

Jaden was already at the bottom of the steps by the time Syrus got halfway down. He ran for the girl who was shuffling her deck, ready for another round with one of her friends. But even where he was, Syrus could see the girl was more than happy to see Jaden. Of course, she was. Who wouldn't be happy to be challenged by the kid who beat Dr. Crowler and his legendary Ancient Gear Golem.

Trix shook his hand once Syrus made it to the side of the arena. Wow. That was very quick, Syrus thought. It made him feel bad about his own confidence. Here was Jaden, running around making friends and being so accepted. And Syrus. Well, he had Jaden as a best friend, he supposed. Perhaps Chumley counted...maybe not. All he knew was, he would never have the guts to walk up to a girl as pretty as Trix and ask her to duel. Hell, he'd even be afraid just to ask her a simple question.

"I'd be more than happy to play against you, Jaden. I've been looking forward to this since the Duel Dome."

"This is gonna be sweet!" Jaden said running to his side of the field. "You ready, Trix?"

Trix shuffled her deck and placed it inside her Duel Desk. "Yes. Are you?"

"Let's see what you've got, Trix!"

"All right, you go first, Jaden. You are the celebrity after all."

Jaden laughed. "Aww, come on. I'm nothing like that."

Trix giggled at his modesty. "Well, you're nothing short of a household name around here, Jaden. That was no simple thing you did back there. You took down Duel Academy professor and his ultimate monster. I don't think even Aster Phoenix could have done it better. You're the kid to beat around here, my dude. Oh, listen to me prattle. You probably want to get this game started. All right, how about you go first."

Jaden nodded. "Okay, Trix. It's time to get your game on!"

In a restaurant on the third floor, Alice and Alexis sat down at a table with a bright red umbrella at the center and lit with two candles in round glass holders. Fortunately for them, their table was right beside a railing covered with vines that overlooked the arenas below.

"Alexis, it's that boy Jaden."

Alexis took her jacket off and loosened her tie before looking over. "Whoa. Seems like he's conveniently around when you are in the area, huh? We're in luck, they just started a duel. Say, wanna head down there when we're done eating? I want to see your Sacred Phoenixes again."

"Oh, of course. Mindy challenged me to a match earlier today. You'll get your chance to see them. Look, Jaden's getting ready to fuse his monsters together."

Jasmine and Mindy came by with trays of food. They sat down and looked over the railing, quickly spotting Jaden getting ready down below. In the arena.

"Oh, wow. If it isn't that disrespectful Slifer," Mindy said. "Can you believe what he said to Professor Crowler the other day?"

Jasmine frowned. "Yeah, he's got some nerve talking to him like that. That stupid slacker. Wouldn't you agree, Alice?"

"Well, Crowler hasn't been all that much of a gentleman to me. Sara said he would be a nice guy once you got to know him, but it looks like he's the same as everybody else. They all want me to be like Sara. And if I don't meet that category, I get shit on."

Mindy handed Alice a chocolate chip cookie wrapped in plastic, hoping the treat would cheer her up. "Well, she is only one of the greatest female duelists since Mai Valentine. She and Mai are the only two women in history to ever hold the world championship title in the pro leagues. And you're her little sister. Naturally, everyone wants you to be like here. Speaking of which, do you think I can get her autograph?"

Alice sighed and rubbed her temples. "Not likely."

Jasmine was still upset about Jaden's outburst. "Hello, we were talking about Jaden here. I mean who the hell does he think he is. I'm pretty sure he only beat Crowler through sheer dumb luck. What do you think, Alexis? Come on, I know even you feel Jaden was out of line yesterday."

Alexis smiled, watching as Jaden finished shuffling his deck. "I think it was kind of cool. Not a lot of guys have the balls to stand up to Dr. Crowler."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious, Alexis? Him? No way."

Mindy laughed and leaned next to her. "Well, he could be. If he can back up all that talk."

Alexis pressed her finger against her lip. "Shhh, they're about to start."

"My money's on Trix," Jasmine said, unwrapping her sandwich. "Jaden doesn't stand a chance."

**Trix 4000 LP**

**Jaden 4000 LP**

**Turn 1**

Jaden drew his opening hand. "All right. Not bad if I do say so myself. I use Polymerization!" He held up the card. "Now, I fuse together Elemental HERO Avian and Burstinatrix to create Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!"

Every student watching the match cried out and applauded as though a rock star had just entered the stadium. Elemental HERO Flame Wingman burst out of a pillar of fire and stopped in midair so his stats could be displayed.

**Elemental HERO Flame Wingman**

**ATK/2100 DEF/ 1200**

"I end my turn. Your move."

Alice beamed and clapped her hands. "Flame Wingman. Oh, boy, I don't think that girl has any idea what she's up against. That's the monster that took down Crowler's golem."

Alexis disagreed by shaking her head. "I don't know, Alice. I've heard a lot of good things about Trix. She makes her mistakes, yes, but boy does she know how to fix them."

**Turn 2**

"Okay, Jaden. Not bad. Now it's my turn. I play Graceful Charity. I draw three cards and discard two as payment. Next, I summon Dragunity Senatus!"

A humanoid with a regal bird's head appeared in front of her. It was dressed in decorative clothes and carried a golden staff with a lime green jewel at the center. It spread four wings, white as snow and let out a call like a raven.

**Dragunity Senatus**

**ATK.1800 DEF/ 600**

"Now, I activate Dragunity Senatus's effect. I discard a Dragunity card from my hand and then I can equip him with a Dragon-Type Dragunity Tuner monster from my deck. I choose Dragunity Couse!"

Dragunity Senatus took flight and waited for a dragon with a sword-shaped head to appear underneath him. He sat down on the dragon's neck, shrieking victoriously. But then, Senatus dismounted the dragon. Trix activated Couse's effect, which allowed her to special summon the little creature if it was used as an equip spell.

"I've been waiting eagerly for this, Jaden. Time to show you what my Dragunity cards can do. First, I'm going to Tune together Dragunity Couse and Senatus! Synchro Summon! Come on out, Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana!"

Senatus's robes started forming into thick and decorative armor and he traded his staff for an extremely long javelin. The dragon he was riding was armored in scarlet outlined with gold and it had a green jewel at the center.

**Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana**

**ATK/1900 DEF/1200**

Alice gasped. "Oh, Synchro Monsters!"

"Remember how they work?" Alexis asked.

"Yes. I believe you need a Tuner monster in order to summon them. And their level plus the monster used to sync with has to be equal to the level of the monster you intend to Synchro Summon, right?"

"That's right. And I have a feeling Trix isn't done yet."

"Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana's effect activates! I can equip him with a Dragunity monster in my graveyard. Come on out, Dragunity Couse. Now, I'm going to Synchro Summon again."

"Again?" Jaden said.

Syrus's toes curled inside his shoes. "Be careful, Jay."

"I will Tune Dragunity Couse with Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana! And create Dragunity Knight - Barcha!"

The dragon grew longer and its armor turned green; the membranes on its wing turned purple, fading into black at the bottom, likewise the winged-beast riding the dragon had his armor changed as well into green and black. His special ability allowed Trix to add as many Dragunity cards in her graveyard to the beast as equip spells. Again, she chose Couse, and special summoned him with his effect. Now she had what she needed for one more Synchro Summon. The dragon became even longer and bigger and its body armor turned to gold and it grew ten wings!

"All right, Jaden. Meet Dragunity Knight - Ascalon!"

**Dragunity Knight - Ascalon**

**ATK/3300 DEF/3200**

****

"Oh my goodness!" Alice cried.

Alexis rested her chin on her palm. "See, I told you not to underestimate her. Not even the legendary Flame Wingman can stand a chance against that creature. Just look at that thing."

"Now, Jaden. I used Ascalon's effect."

"Does he get to transform into another awesome dragon, Trix?"

Trix chuckled. "No, man. That's it. And I think you should be happy about that. Now, I use Dragunity Knight Ascalon's effect. By banishing a Dragunity monster in my graveyard, I get to banish one of your monsters."

Jaden's smile faded. "That's not good!"

Ascalon summoned a portal with his hand that appeared over Flame Wingman. He tried his best to escape its pull, but it was no use. He got sucked in and was banished from the game. What's worse, Jaden was wide open for an attack.

"Now, Jaden, I attack you directly!"

Ascalon jumped off his golden dragon and lept towards Jaden, holding up his lance to skewer him through the heart.

Jaden crossed his arms over his face to shield himself from the attack. He screamed loudly and was knocked backward. He landed on his back; his body billowing steam.

**Trix 4000 LP**

**Jaden 700 LP**

"Wow, you're really good," Jaden said standing up. He rubbed his stomach and started to laugh. "Man, I really love it here. The action, the excitement, even some of the trash-talking. Man, this is paradise!"

"Well, I guess I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Trix said, placing her hand on her hip. "You surprise me, Jaden. It's not every day I meet a duelist who's happy no matter how grim the situation."

"Are you kidding? How can I be upset now? This is one amazing duel, and we're just getting started. I guess now it's time for me to get my game on, huh? I draw!"

**Turn 3**

"I draw two cards with Pot of Greed. Now, I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic! My monster's ability activates. I discard a card and I get to add Polymerization to my hand. Next, Keeper of Dragon Magic's second ability kicks in. From my extra deck, I reveal Elemental HERO Tempest! Now, I can choose one of the materials used to make him and special summon it to the field in defense mode."

Keeper of Dragon Magic started spinning his staff around until he created a blue glyph. Jaden pumped his fist in excitement. If this worked, he was going to turn this duel around for sure.

"Keeper of Dragon Magic! Bring back Elemental HERO Avian!"

The Keeper stopped spinning his staff and then the card appeared next to him.

"All right. Now, I use Polymerization, fusing together Elemental HERO Avian and Clayman. Appear! Elemental HERO Gaia!"

Jaden summoned a giant in black armor covered with red glowing orbs and he had two massive hammers for hands that doubled as missile launchers. He aimed his left launcher at the air.

"What's he doing?" Trix asked.

"Gaia's special ability activates! He can cut your monster's attack points in half!"

Gaia launched a barrage of missiles in the air. The missiles whistled as they flew up in an arch and then rained down on top of Dragunity Knight Ascalon, dropping his attack points to 1650.

"And it gets better," said Jaden. "Now those points will get added to Gaia's attack points."

"What!?"

Jaden gave his signature salute and winked. "This is game! Keeper of Dragonic Magic, attack her monster."

Keeper of Dragonic Magic threw his spear at Ascalon, striking him through the heart. The knight shattered to pieces, followed by the golden dragon it once rode.

"And now, Elemental HERO Gair will attack you directly!'"

"OH NOOOO!" Trix shouted. She was showered with missiles and fell flat on her back.

"Aww, that's too bad," said Alexis. "She didn't activate Ascalon's special ability."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"When Dragunity Knight -Ascalon gets destroyed in battle, he allows Trix to summon another Dragunity Synchro monster from the graveyard. I'm sure one of them could have greatly helped her out."

Alice snapped her fingers. "Oh, you're right. Her Dragunity Knight - Barcha could have been the perfect creature to save her. When it attacks or is attacked, Trix could have banished a Dragunity monster and raised Barcha's attack points equal to the banished monster's attack points."

"That's right. If there's a Dragunity Primus in the graveyard somewhere, it could have raised Ascalon's attack to four-thousand, which would have been more than enough to beat Jaden's Elemental HERO Gaia. Also, she could have equipped Couse to Barcha to make another Ascalon if she has one. And something in my gut tells me she has her copies."

"Poor thing. She has so much potential."

Alexis picked up her glass of soda and sipped on the straw. "Yeah, she could be a great duelist if she just read the cards more carefully."

Just then, the person Jaden had been waiting for arrived. Just like the rumors, he was a Slifer Red student like him. He was a handsome young man, well-built, diamond jaw, and angelic blue eyes. He had short, wavy, blond hair, covering the left part of his face with a long bang. Around his neck was a round ruby encased in black steel hanging from a black string. Jasmine and Mindy held their hands together and swooned, as they usually did when a hot guy was around.

"It's him!" Jasmine cried. "Kyros Metaxas! The hottest Slifer Red in school."

"I'd be more than happy to demote myself just to be with him," Mindy said, melting on the inside.

"Pfft," Alexis scoffed. "You can forget it, girl. His heart belongs to Trix."

"Awwww," both girls said in dismay.

Kyros walked up the steps to the arena where his girlfriend stood anxiously as though she were a child about to get scorned by her parents. He smiled and kissed her hand. "Well, well, well. Looks like you forgot what Ascalon does again, eh Trixy?"

Trix gasped, slapping her hand on her cheek. "Oh, shoot! I could have used his effect to summon a Dragunity monster from my graveyard."

Jaden scratched the back of his head. "Really? What would that have done?"

Kyros held out his hand. "Let me see the cards in your GY, babe." Trix took them out of her Duel Disk and showed them to him. "Ah, I thought so. Take a look here, Jaden. This is Dragunity Knight- Barcha. If Trix had been paying more attention to the text, she would have been able to summon him after your Keeper destroyed it. And when Barcha gets attacked, Trix can banish a Dragunity from the graveyard and increase Barcha's attack equal to the attack points of the monster she banished. And check this bad boy out. Dragunity Primus Pilus."

Syrus gasped. "Whoa! Jaden, if Trix had pulled that off, she could have raised her knight's attack to four thousand. You could have lost."

"I don't think so," Jaden said confidently.

Kyros laughed. "Come on, man. You had no monsters out and had a handful of Life Points left. My girlfriend would have taken you out."

"Not after I set these face-down," Jaden said holding up two cards. Flute of Summoning Kuriboh and Transcendent Wings.

"Oh my!" Trix said. "He could have used that combo to summon Winged Kuriboh Level 10. That would have destroyed me...Oh!"

Kyros grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, sliding his hand up her thigh as he brushed kisses down her neck. "And you remember what the terms of our deal was, right? For every loss you get, that's one less date we go on."

"Aww, you jerk," Trix said kissing his cheek. "You know, I miss the days when I got a spanking for each loss I took."

Kyros purred in her ear. "Yeah, but then that stopped when I realized you were losing on purpose."

"Whoa," Syrus said, his face turning crimson.

Kyros and Trix laughed at his expression, Jaden as well. Kyros shook Jaden's hand at once. "Well, Jaden, it seems you're true to your reputation. You've got some mad skills. I mean even the Blues are jealous of you."

"Thanks. They said you're pretty good, too. Which reminds me. I've been itching for a match against you. What do you say?"

"I'll have to do a rain check on that one, Jaden. I've already got a match scheduled for right now. Some Obelisk Blue named Zachary. He's been talking smack about me and I've had enough."

"So why don't you do something about it?" said the aforementioned Blue. Zachary (NPC from Duel Links) walked up to the arena and made a face of disgust when he saw nothing by Slifer Reds in front of him. "Oh, this is just disgusting. Look at you plebians tarnishing this regal institution. If Dr. Crowler was in charge, he'd make sure that only the best of the best reign supreme around here. There would be no Slifer Red or Ra Yellow."

Jaden's smile faded. "Someone's full of himself."

Zachary scoffed then put his hands on his hips. "Ah, you must be the Slifer Red student who beat Dr. Crowler. Judai? Juno? What was your name again? Bah, it matters not. It takes more than just luck to make it far in this school."

Trix glared at him. His voice just rang with pretentiousness and she could smell his fancy cologne from where she was, which was about six feet from where he stood. "His name is Jaden! And for your information, he didn't defeat Crowler with luck. He won that duel because he's the better duelist."

Zachary let out the most generic, obnoxious laugh any of them had ever heard. "The better duelist? Really? He's nothing as are the rest of you. Kyros. Don't think because Dr. Crowler sucks up to you that you're any better than these Slifer Red rejects. Your skills may be enough to impress the teachers here, but everyone knows the real rulers of this school is Obelisk Blue. So long as you're wearing red, you're nothing!"

"You are such an asshole!" shouted Trix. "Kyros got his training from none other than Joey Wheeler. Hello, rank third duelist in the world. Runner up in the Duelist Kingdom Tournament and Battle City finalist."

"Joey Wheeler is nothing but a washed-up old has-been! What do I care if he's been trained by him? I mean, I'd be impressed if it was Kaiba or Yugi Muto. Pfft, but a third rate duelist like Joey Wheeler? Give me a break."

Kyros stepped forward. "That's enough, Zachary. You want to make fun of me, that's fine. But when you talk bad about Joey Wheeler, we've got a problem."

Zachary laughed. "How could anyone possibly defend someone the likes of him?"

"The man practically saved my life. He's been like a father to me. I wouldn't be where I am right now had it not been for him teaching me the game. No, Joey Wheeler isn't in the same tier as Yugi Muto or Seto Kaiba, but he's more of a duelist than you'll ever be. YOU HEAR ME!"

"Well, then, let's get started."

Trix kissed Kyros for good luck and patted his cheek telling him to calm down before she, Jaden, and Syrus cleared the arena for their duel.

**Kyros LP 4000**

**Zachary LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"I'll start first!" shouted Kyros. "I activate the spell, Red-Eyes Fusion. With this card, I can send the proper fusion materials to my graveyard and summon the mighty Meteor Black Comet Dragon!"

A meteor fell from the sky and crashed into the field, creating a dust cloud. Flames rose out of the ground and formed into the fiery dragon from the deep reaches of space.'

**Meteor Black Comet Dragon**

**ATK/3500 DEF/2000**

"Now, I will use my dragon's effect. I send a Red-Eyes monster from my deck to the graveyard and I can inflict damage to your Life Points equal to its attack points. The monster I discarded is Red-Eyes Black Dragon, now you take 1200 points of damage!"

Meteor Black Comet Dragon summoned a rain of fire and reduced Zachary's Life Points to 2800.

"How dare you!" he shouted.

"Already losing your cool, Zachary? Too bad. I now use the spell, Red-Eyes Insight! I send a Red-Eyes monster to my graveyard and add a Red-Eyes spell or trap to my hand. Finally, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 2**

"I draw!" said Zachary. "You had one lucky shot, but don't let that get to your head, you Slifer slacker! I use the spell, Terraforming!"

"And I will use this moment to activate my trap card, Return of the Red-Eyes!"

Zachary paused. "What's this?"

"When I control a Red-Eyes monster, this card can allow me to special summon a normal monster in my graveyard! Come on out, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!"

BOOM! A black dragon with red flaming wings burst out fo the ground and roared. It spread its wings and created a frightening display of fire to scare Zachary into surrendering. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. He was nervous but was quite confident he could take the dragon down.

**Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon**

**ATK/2400 DEF/2000**

"Are you blind?" Zachary shouted. "You have no Red-Eyes monster out and that dragon you summoned is an effect monster."

"No, you just don't know shit about the Red-Eyes archetype. First, Meteor Black Comet Dragon is treated like a Red-Eyes monster. And Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon is treated as a normal monster while he's in my hand or in the graveyard."

"No matter. Summon all the dragons you want, it will do you no good against my horde of the undead. Watch as I transport us to the homeworld of all zombies. Zombie World!"

The arena digitized and soon Jaden and the others found themselves in a wide field with dead trees and dried rivers full of mud and flies. A castle ruin was perched on a cliff in the distance in front of the moon. Wolves howled in the distance and the moan of the undead sounded like the wind. Trix pointed at Kyros's dragons. Their bodies were decaying. The flesh was slowly melting off the bone and large black flies flew around them.

"What's happened to them?" Syrus asked nervously.

"This ain't no pretty spell card, Sy," Jaden said. "Zombie World turns all of Kyros's monsters on the field and in the graveyard into Zombie-types."

Zachary laughed again, getting on Trix's nerves. "Are you scared? You should be. Nothing will prepare you for what's ahead.

"Well, I can bolster up my dragons with this card. Red-Eyes Fang with Chain! Now my dragon can make two attacks. I give it to Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!"

"Whatever. It will not stop my zombies. Now, I use Foolish Burial and send Glow-Up Bloom to the graveyard. Now, it's effect activates. It allows me to summon Doomking Balderdroch!"

Lightning flashed and a loud clap of thunder rocked the world. A fissure opened in front of him and from it rose a serpent-shaped zombie warlord who used the skulls of giants and a dragon as armor.

****

**Doomking Balderdroch**

**ATK/2800 DEF/2000**

"And it will only get worse for you, slacker! I now summon Shiranui Solitaire and I'll use his effect to..."

"Hold on! I activate my Red-Eyes Fang with Chain. I send it to the graveyard and then I can take control of your Doomking!"

"NO!"

Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon animated the chain to wrap itself around the undead monster and dragged it to the spell/trap zone to be used an equip spell, making Flare Metal Dragon's attack equal to the Doomking's.

"Argh! I've had enough of your tricks! You are not smarter than me, fool! I will prove you are nothing but trash! With Solitaire's effect, I call upon Uni-Zombie! Now, I use his effect to send Mezuki from my deck to the graveyard and when that happens, Mezkuki can let me resurrect a monster. Rise, Solitaire! Now, I will Tune Uni-Zombie (LV 3) and Shiranui (LV 4). Synchro Summon! Say hello to my own Red-Eyes! The Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon!"

A wall of blue flames burst in front of Zachary and then they formed into a black, armored dragon, who was cloaked with the blue fire like it was decoration.

****

**Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon**

**ATK/2400 DEF/2000**

"My mighty beast will now gain 100 attack points for each Zombie on the field and in the graveyard!"

( **ATK/2400 → 3200** )

"Good God!" shouted Trix. "He's so strong now."

"I see you're impressed. You know, Trix, I've heard a lot of good things about you. They say you have great potential. I can help you reach the top. Your boy is no good. So why don't you hit me up?"

"I think I'll pass."

"Man, the nerve of that guy!" said Jaden.

Zachary laughed again. "Well, I'm sure you'll be impressed and accept my offer when I beat this slacker. Now, Necro Dragon, attack his Black Flare Dragon!"

Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon reared up its head and shot out a stream of blue fire that melted Kyros's dragon to the bone. Then the bones formed behind the Necro Dragon and the skin, or what was left of it, reformed over the bones.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Jaden asked.

"He's the Red-Eyes Necro Dragon," Zachary happily answered. "He's a dragon with the power of necromancy, meaning he can bring monsters back from the dead and forces them to obey him. Your Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon is now mine! Your turn. Let's see what you can do. Oh, and since my Doomking is back in my graveyard, the Necro Dragon's attack increases by another hundred points."

**(ATK 3300)**

"I end my turn. Can you top my moves, Kyros?"

**Zachary 2800 LP**

**Kyros 3600 LP**

**Turn 3**

"I draw!"

Zachary held up his hand. "And now I activate the effect of my Doomking! He'll come back to my field in defense mode."

"And my Return of the Red-Eyes activates! I bring back Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

**Red-Eyes Black Dragon**

**ATK/2400 DEF/2000**

Jaden noticed something different about Kyros's Red-Eyes. It looked very different.

Zachary looked at the creature and shook his head. "He sure has seen better days hasn't he?"

"Yeah, but don't think because he's a rotting corpse that he's any weaker. I use the spell, Cards of the Red Stone. I send Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my hand to the graveyard and add two cards to my hand. Next, I send another Red-Eyes from my deck to the graveyard. Now, I use the effect of my Black Metal Dragon! This card can be used as an equip spell. I will give it to my Meteor Black Comet Dragon increasing his attack points by 600 points."

**(ATK/3500 → 4100)**

"Now, I sacrifice my Red-Eyes Black Dragon and summon Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon! Now, Meteor Black Comet Dragon, attack his Doomking!"

Zachary waited for the smoke to clear. He chuckled confidently and shrugged. "Fine. I don't need him. The Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon allows me to take one of your Red-Eyes Black Dragons from the graveyard! And now his attack points are 3600! Keep adding those Red-Eyes cards, Kyros! It will only make my dragon stronger!"

"Oh yeah? Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon! Attack his dragon and destroy yourself!"

"What? Why would he do that?" Syrus shouted. "Come on, Kyros! Don't lose your cool."

"I don't think so, Sy," Jaden said. "I think Kyros has a plan."

"Yeah, but it cost him a lot of his Life Points."

**Kyros 2400 LP**

"My Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon's effect activates! I can special summon a Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my graveyard and double its attack points."

"DOUBLE!" Zachary shouted. "NO!"

The Red-Eyes Black Dragon rose out of the ground and blasted the Necro Dragon, silencing him at last.

"MY DRAGON!"

**Zachary 1600 LP**

"You dare hurt me!?"

"I've only just begun! I now summon The Black Stone of Legend. Now, I tribute it to summon a Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my deck!"

"More of those worthless creatures! I will squash them all one by one, mark my words!"

"Well, now's your time to do it. I end my turn."

**Zachary 1600 LP**

**Kyros 2400 LP**

**Turn 4**

Zachary activated his Doomking's effect to revive it and Kyros chained by using Return of the Red-Eyes to bring back Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon. Zachary then summoned a monster called Gozuki sending Mezuki to the grave, which activated his effect, allowing Zachary to summon Uni-Zombie. He performed a Synchro Summon and the Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon returned.

**(ATK 4000)**

He attacked the Flare Metal Dragon decreasing Kyros's Life Points to 1200. He then took control of Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "I end my turn." That was the best he could do. Kyros's Red-Eyes was still stronger. Once it destroyed the Necro Dragon, Meteor Black Comet Dragon unleashed its fury and reduced Zachary's Life Points to 0.

Jaden clapped. "Sweet! That's game! Nice work, Kyros. I sure can't wait to duel you."

"Thanks. I can't wait to play against you sometime, Jaden."

Trix ran up the steps and jumped on Kyros, wrapping her legs around him and kissing him. Syrus blushed and looked away. "All right, all right, get a room you two."

Jasmine sighed sadly in the eatery up above. "Some girls get all the luck."

"Yeah..." Mindy swooned. "How romantic. Hey, Alice. Are you ever going to find your special someone?"

Alice shook her head. "Unless the guy's name is Aster Phoenix, I really don't think so. Besides, I care more about my studies than being with a guy." She looked down at Kyros and smiled. "No matter how charming they are."

"I know," Jasmine said, stretching her neck over the rail to get a better view of the arenas below. "Damn, Kyros has such a nice butt."

"Ugh," Alexis groaned. "Come on. Let's get out of here before Jasmine drools all over the place."

Another day had gone by. By nightfall, the storm had passed and the students were on their way home. For Alice, this would be a very sleepless night. Tomorrow were her tryouts for the Red Arrows. It wasn't something she planned on doing, but she realized that maybe if she played a little competitively with the team, her mother would ease up on forcing her to become a professional duelist like Sara. This was her only chance. If she blew it, she would have no other choice but to fill Sara's shoes and leave her dreams of being a Kaiba Corp programmer behind.


	7. The Kaiser of Duel Academy

The weather didn't improve the next day. It wasn't as violent as it was the day before but the rain kept pouring all through the morning.

"Just my luck," Alice sighed during free period. "Does the sun ever shine in this place?"

She opened her umbrella and began to march to a nearby cafe by the road to get some coffee and a slice of pie.

"Man, this is going to be a long day. I just hope my luck doesn't rain on my parade later."

The tryouts for the Red Arrows were on after school. Alexis said if she made it on the team, they would go celebrating in North Point, the tourist beachside town on the other side of the island where they would find a club to hang out in called The Tomb. She was a little concerned about that earlier because she didn't have anything to wear to such a place.

Thankfully, Alexis told her there was a shopping mall there where she could pick out her dress. It was going to be a night she would never ever forget. If she beat her opponent at the tryouts, that is.

Alice looked at the planner in her PDA, which she had protected with a custom leather cover. School was almost over, but she was just so tired. She barely got any sleep last night on the count of her preparing for so many duels that were going to take place today. One of them was the duel in Professor Hawkins's history class. She was up for hours studying that astronomical chart, memorizing which Guardian Star was stronger than the other and so on. And she was trying to create fusion combinations to give her an even greater edge against her opponent.

So far she got Flower Wolf, Stone Dragon, Queen of the Autumn Leaves, and Flame Cerberus. Fusion in this version of Duel Monsters was quite strange. Polymerization wasn't needed. You just needed to have the right combination of cards to make the fusion possible. For example, Flame Cerberus could be created by fusing together a fire monster and a beast monster. So long as the ATK points of those monsters didn't exceed Flame Cerberus's attack points of 2100. That rule applied to all the other fusion monsters. If the monster was stronger than the monster you were hoping to summon, the fusion didn't work.

Alice learned that the hard way when she dueled against Alexis the other day. She accidentally tossed aside her Black Dragon Jungle King for a Stone Ghost. She tried to make a Stone Dragon, who had a defense of 2300, something that could safeguard her Life Points against the Gaia the Fierce Knight Alexis summoned. But Black Dragon Jungle King had 2100 attack points and Stone Dragon only had 2000. In short, Black Dragon Jungle King was just too strong to fuse into a Stone Dragon.

So far, her favorite and most powerful fusion was Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, a mighty beast with 2800 ATK points who could plow down through almost anything in the ancient format. However, Alexis her way of getting strong cards.

Thanks to her connections in a school club called the Forbidden Memories Guild, she acquired powerhouses like Cosmo Queen (ATK 2900), Meteor B. Dragon (ATK 3500), Black Skull Dragon (ATK 3200), and worst of all...Gate Guardian, with an attack power of 3750. Her deck had so many strong cards, that Professor Hawkins personally asked her not to use it during the lessons.

She approached the cafe once the line shortened. The cafe was a little green shack with a giant coffee cup on the red-tiled roof. The servers were nice and warm inside and the students in line were kept safe from the rain thanks to a green and white awning. Alice continued looking at her schedule. There was a lot to do and she wanted to get some sleep, especially before tonight. Alexis was starting to grow into a very good friend; she didn't want to let her down, and she was looking forward to visiting North Point.

Alice sighed, but she figured if the tryouts didn't take to long, she could take the train back to the girl's dorm, have three hours to rest, then shower to wake herself up. It was a steep agenda, but she thought she could pull it off.

Standing by a black chain guardrail were two boys from Ra Yellow. They looked at Alice, gawking at her and looking at every curve on her body. There was a duel nearby, and she turned her attention away from the two jerks to watch it. The duel had a Slifer named Christian against a boy from Ra named Lucas.

"I'll start first," said Lucas. "Watch out. I summon Overdrive in attack mode!" He summoned a military jeep with 1600 ATK points. "Next, I use Double Summon, which lets me summon Oni-Tank T-34."

His next monster was a tank with a red demon's face. It's 1400 ATK points displayed over its main cannon.

"And I set a card face-down."

"My turn," said Christian. He looked at his hand and turned around to face his fans. He howled and they howled back. "I use the ritual spell, Synthesis Spell! Now, I tribute my two Silver Fangs and summon the mighty Lycanthrope!"

A full moon rose above Christian. From the ground emerged a horrible monster. Its fur was dark gray and it had gray leathery abs and pectoral muscles at the front. It had wiring coiled all over its body and it wore blue, torn, shorts; no doubt a relic of the man it once was. It had glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Its fangs were infused with adamantium steel, making them awesome weapons.

The holographic screens displayed a devastating 2400 ATK points.

"But that's not all. I activate Premature Burial. By paying 800 of my Life Points, I bring back one of the Silver Fangs from my graveyard. This will activate the effect of my Phantom Pal."

He summoned a cute, white, wolf puppy with round brown eyes. ATK/ 500

"When I bring back a Beast-Type monster from my Graveyard, my little friend can special summon itself to the field."

"My little friend is no ordinary puppy, either. He's a Tuner. And I will use him and my Silver Fang to Synchro Summon Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!"

"OOOH!" the crowd cheered when his ace monster arrived. He was a bipedal wolf with royal blue fur, wearing spiked platinum armor. His chestplate looked like a monster's face with glowing blue eyes. Both his hands were inside gauntlets shaped to look like metallic wolf's head that could growl and howl. They both had glowing red-eyes and snorted steam.

His ATK was 2400 as well, just like his Lyncanthrope. He commanded his monster to attack, but Lucas was prepared.

"I use Negate Attack, canceling out your battle phase."

"Very well," said Christian. "I end my turn."

"My turn!" Lucas said, drawing his card. "I sacrifice Overdrive and Oni Tank T-34 to summon my rarest monster. Fiendish Engine Omega, with a power of 2700!"

He summoned a giant robot that towered over the arena. It had six exhaust ports on its back spewing out noxious, purple smoke. It was red and white in color and bore sharp blades on its forearms.

"ATTACK! Destroy his Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius!"

Fiendish Engine Omega slashed the wolf across the chest with his left blade. It exploded, dealing 300 points of damage to Christian.

"Surrender, 'Lone Wolf', Fiendish Engine Omega is my strongest card. Nothing you can do can beat him."

Christian smirked. "I already have. I summon Aloof Lupine!"

He summoned a giant wolf with brown and white fur and a majestic mane.

"Now, I use Alpha's How!"

Aloof Lupin howled and summoned a clone of itself.

"This lets me summon a token with the same level and points as a Beast Monster of my choosing. Now, I Overlay them both to summon the mighty, Diamond Dire Wolf!"

The wolf he summoned was colossal. It was like a giant diamond crafter to look like a wolf and enchanted with life. Its ATK points read 2000.

"Is that it?" Lucas sneered. "Your puny puppy can't stand up to my Engine."

"He's not battling your monster. My Lycanthrope is. Go!"

"Are you stupid or something? He's still stronger than your..."

Lycanthrope slashed Fiendish Engine Omega over a hundred times in two seconds flat. The machine fell to pieces and exploded, dealing 2100 points of damage to Lucas's Life Points.

"What happened?" Lucas cried. "You must have cheated! My Fiendish Engine Omega was the strongest monster on the field!"

"When you attacked and destroyed my Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius, his effect activated. Sirius's ghost drains your monster of 2400 ATK points. So your machine had a puny 300 points."

"NO!" Lucas shouted.

"And my Lycanthrope's ability kicks in. For every Normal monster in my graveyard, he deals 200 points of damage to your Life Points."

Lycanthrope slashed Lucas twice, knocking him backward on his back.

"Finally, Diamond Dire Wolf will end you! Go! Diamond Claw!"

The wolf slashed Lucas with such force, it sent him flying across the arena. His Life Points went to 0. The students watching gave a round of applause for Christian and for Lucas.

Christian shuffled his deck and scoffed. "That will teach you for copying my work. You fucking loser." He turned and walked away.

"Look at this fine little lady," said one of the Ra Yellow boys. "She looks a little parched. Hey, girl, want me to buy you a drink?"

"Ha! I don't think so, Andre. Not if I buy it first. Damn, man. You always go after the pretty ones and leave the ugly ones for the rest of us."

The boy from Ra scoffed and slide his hand down his periwinkle hair. "What? I can't help it if women find me captivating. She's also out of your league. She's the girl who beat Boris, the leader of the Red Crusaders. A girl like her would be a waste for someone like you."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Stop complaining. Besides, there are plenty of girls for you to choose on this island."

Alice looked around nervously as she waited in line and tugged the hem of her skirt down just in case. _Uh...hello. I'm right here,_ she thought. These guys clearly had no sense of chivalry at all, which was odd considering many of their groups had the name Knight in it.

She heard Jasmine calling her name and looked around to find her. She was sitting with Alexis, Mindy, and three Obelisk Blue girls named Alyssa, Kami, and Wisteria. They were saving a seat for her. Alice gave a thumbs up to show that she saw and would join them soon.

As she approached the grated window to order her food, she noticed a tall and well-built boy from Slifer Red leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and one foot on the wall. His hair was short with a few long bangs hanging over his face. His skin was sunkissed, which revealed he probably went to the beach a lot.

His eyes were the most brilliant shade of green, mixed with blue around the iris. The boy's blazer was tied around his waist and the sleeves of his dress shirt were up revealing very toned arms. His tie was hanging loose and he wore a belt with two carbon fiber deck cases that had a gold trident insignia on the front. One case kept his deck and the other had rare cards he would us to trade. Also hanging from the belt was a chain with looked like multiple crowns with a fleur-de-lis at the end.

He was staring at her, examining her very thoroughly. She noticed his eyes slowly going down, and she knew that he was checking out her legs. No doubt he was hoping for an unfriendly wind to pass by and lift it to give him a generous view. Alice quickly looked away and focused on the menu hanging above the window, which she read more than a dozen times already.

Curiously, she looked back at the boy. He was still looking at her. It was creepy, she thought, but he was so handsome that deep down she would rather deal with his awkward stares than the verbal harassment from the boys from Ra Yellow, not to say she enjoyed being looked at him. Enough was enough.

"What are you looking at?" Alice asked.

"Hmm, not much of a talker I see," he said. "Or are you just waiting for me to kiss your boots because you're a princess from Obelisk Blue?"

"Or I'm dead tired and I want to have a coffee before class, but I can't because you're in my fucking way."

"Coffee, eh? I'd love to join you, but there's something I want to know. And I'd like to know now if you don't mind. A precaution just in case you're so tired that you can't tell the difference between me and the coffee shop sign beside you."

Alice shrugged and moved her head from side to side to show she was listening. The boy chuckled, admiring her wild, red hair. It looked unkempt, but the Slifer didn't seem to mind. He found her beautiful this way.

"Wow. Your hair. It's so long it needs its own zip code. It's wild...like a lion's hair."

Alice giggled. "It makes me feel like a lion," she said brushing her fiery mane with her fingertips. "I rather like it."

The boy smiled and gave a complimentary nod. "You're not the only one. And that blue bow of yours just goes along well with the color of your hair. So, tell me, princess, are you used to having people comment about you that way? Or do you usually just brush it off and move on?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Aww, I'm sorry, sweetie, are you looking for someone to give you some attention, too?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Sweetie?" He laughed. "No way, those assholes could only wish they had the balls to catcall me the way they have. They're wasted on Blue Dragon, some weed from the mountains. They've been drooling after every pair of legs that walked by them since dawn. They were so high they even catcalled Chazz Princeton a little while ago. I'm just waiting around for Campus Security to come by and make a scene with these two jerks."

He gazed at Alice again and smiled. "But I must say, they're right to admire you." He tilted his head to the right. "Your ass looks really big. Tell me, do you squat?"

Alice couldn't believe he would ask her something like that. "Excuse me?"

The boy chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, I have a thing for physically fit girls; redheads the most. I find you rather darling. You look like you exercise a lot. Do you?"

"So what if I do?"

Again, the boy chuckled. "Forgive me. I hung around a lot of party girls back home. I keep forgetting that not all girls are like them. Nah, you look like someone with class. Take care and stay away from those kinds of guys."

"Oh, I will. Now, why don't you follow your own advice and give me a wide berth as well? Augh, and make it a very wide berth; I can smell the Broadsword body spray from here."

The smile never left him. "Actually, I was just on my way. But for some odd reason, I can't help but want to stick around and mess around with you some more. Maybe you'd help a guy out if you're not busy."

"Sorry, I'm busy."

"I'll make it worth your while."

"Your absence is all the reward I need."

"Now you're what I call a woman," said the Slifer. He put his hands into his pockets. "If you ever feel the need to look me up, the name's Bishop."

Alice sighed. "Very well, Bishop. What would you have me do?"

Bishop looked at her and spit out his gum. "Hold on. I can't help but shake the feeling that you don't trust Slifers. Do you?"

"So far they haven't given me any reason to."

"Not all of us are like that sweetheart. Slifers are pretty good folk once you get to know us and put the tribalism aside."

Alice stopped and pursed her lips. She ordered her food and began to walk off. "You know what? I think not, Bishop. I have no interest in your company. Goodbye."

Bishop laughed as she walked away. "No problem, princess, give it some time. I usually hang around the lighthouse during sundown. If you encounter a stiff staring off into nothingness, that's Zane. See you around. I hope."

Alice looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink. Deep down, she was actually looking forward to seeing him again, just not out in public. He was terribly obnoxious, but there was some kind of charm to him that she rather enjoyed. And not to mention he was really hot for a Slifer. She sighed and joined her friends at their table.

Alexis smiled gave Alice a friendly pat on the back as she sat down. The rain was coming down in short drops and the sun was coming out, its bright light warmed the island from the chill of the storm.

"Damn," Alexis said, holding her hand over her eyes. "That is bright as all hell."

Kami wagged her finger at her. "Bad language! We are ladies of Obelisk Blue. So please refrain from those kinds of words."

Alexis sighed, thankful that the branches of the willow tree they sat under was starting to provide them with some shade. Yellow string lights with orange paper lanterns hung over them, giving the place a warm, friendly atmosphere.

"Oh, Alice, I see you've met Bishop," Jasmine said, digging around through her salad.

Kami shivered. "Why do most of the good-looking guys belong in Slifer?" she swooned.

"Because they lack manners or sense of personal space," Alice said shaking her head. She unwrapped her chocolate chip cookie and took a bite. She looked over her shoulder to see if he was still there. He wasn't. He must have moved on as she made her way to the table. "Good riddance," she said.

Alyssa (Duel Links NPC) giggled. "Yeah, right? A real charmer. So you're the girl who beat Boris the other day, huh? You're our hero. Ever since you and Chazz stood up to him, he and the other duel gangs have stayed far away from our side of the island."

"You have my utmost respect for that," said the pink-haired Wisteria. "But what If he comes back?"

"He won't," said Kami, a girl with long dark blue hair and two lilac bows on either side of her head. "Not so long as we have her and Chazz looking after us."

"Hey, don't forget Zane," said Alexis. The girls looked at her with teasing looks on their faces. "What?" she said after a long and awkward pause.

"Of course we wouldn't forget your buddy Zane, Alexis," Mindy teased. "Why do you get so defensive when someone forgets to mention him?"

Alexis's face turned pink. "Girls, don't do this again. We're just friends. And I like it that way. Stop insinuating things, will you? It's so juvenile."

They all burst out laughing. If there was one thing Jasmine and the others loved doing, it was pressing Alexis's buttons. And nothing got her worked up faster than teasing her about her close friendship with Zane. She followed him around school and during sundown, the two of them were spotted standing together under the lighthouse.

Alice took something out of her backpack. "I want to show you guys something," she said. The object she held looked like a flat black tablet. She placed it on the center of the table and used an app she created on her phone to activate it. Soon, holographic butterflies that looked like they were made of light burst from out of the tablet like a geyser and flew all around them.

"Oh my goodness!" Kami cried, trying to catch them. "Alice! You made this?"

"Uh-huh," said Alice. "What do you guys think?"

"Not bad," Alexis said holding out her finger. One of the holographic butterflies landed on it and flapped its wings slowly. "I mean, the textures are a little pixelated when you look at them up close but overall this is exquisite work, Alice. I'm impressed. Did your mom teach you how to make this?"

"Just the basics. But I learned everything else by reading books and taking some cheap online courses. It's really simple once you get the hang of it. The binary was a pain in the ass though."

"Ugh, I hate binary," Kami scoffed.

"I don't even know what it is and I hate it," said Alyssa. "Wow, this is gorgeous. Now I know why you want to be a hologram designer at Kaiba Corp, Alice. I wish you luck."

"Textures or not," said Jasmine, "this is nothing short of beautiful. They look so real."

"Well, back to Bishop," said Mindy. "Alice. What do you think of him?"

"Must we really go back to that?" Alice asked with a heavy sigh. She tapped her app and the holograms turned off.

Alexis giggled and shook her head. "Believe me, Alice, when it comes to boys, Jasmine and Mindy will go on and on and on."

"I can't help it," said Mindy. "Alice seemed so interested in him. Most girls would give the guy lots of space, but you let him talk to you. Why's that?"

"Who cares? I think he needs to keep his distance from you, Alice," Evan said approaching their table. "Listen, we need to talk."

Alice shut her eyes and turned her head. "We have nothing to talk about, Evan. I have no desire to speak with you."

Jasmine frowned. "Well, well, well. What do you want, pervert?"

Evan looked at her in disdain. "I don't know what she told you, but it was an accident."

Alice flushed into a deep shade of crimson. "Judging by that stupid look you had on your face, I can tell you were really enjoying that accident."

"Come on, Alice, I said I was sorry."

"Get lost, Slifer," Kami said with a wave of her hand. "We don't need you polluting our space."

"Watch it!" Evan said. "I may be a Slifer now, but just you wait. I'm going to grow to be something big around here."

"Yeah, the head janitor," sniggered Wisteria.

"Ha! You wish! You're looking at a future card designer for Industrial Illusions! So show me some respect!"

"Is that what you want to do?" Alexis asked. "Can you draw at all?"

"Well...no...I guess, no. But I can cook up some cool monsters and sweet effects. Get this!" he sat down on a vacant chair in between Kami and Jasmine. Both girls could smell the stench of the swamps perfuming both his blazer and his shoes and scooted away. "What if I created a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon fusion monster?"

"Say what?" Alexis said.

Alice squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled to let out her frustration. "You mean a hybrid of the Red-Eyes, Galaxy-Eyes, and the Blue-Eyes?"

"Yeah! And it will have 4000 attack points!"

"It's nothing my dragon can't handle," Jasmine said, holding up her Gold-Rare Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand.

Evan scoffed. "I think not. Your Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand will wind up being food for my dragon. See, at the cost of some Life Points, my hybrid beast can gain 1000 attack points for every dragon on the field and in the graveyard. No other card can do that, right?"

"Ahem," Alyssa said. She popped open the deck case strapped to her thigh with a flick of her fingers and took her cards out. She flipped through them and showed Evan her ace. "This is Buster Blader the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman. He can gain 1000 attack points for every dragon on the field and in the graveyard. Also, dragon-type monsters you control are forced into defense mode and their effects are negated."

"Okay, sure, but he's still not as strong as my hybrid. My beast is going to be up there in the Meta, you just wait!"

Alexis slapped her palm on her forehead. "Uh, no. Your mess of a monster will never stand up to Alyssa's Dragon Destroyer Swordsman."

"Right," said Alyssa, feeling quite irritated that Evan believed her monsters couldn't stand up to his fake beast. "First off, your dragon's weakness is that there have to be dragons on the field and in the graveyard. What if your opponent doesn't have those types of monsters? Also, you have to pay Life Points to increase his attack, which is really, really, bad. Buster Blader just gains the bonus with no payment. And has this guy to back him up." She held up the card. "He's called Buster Dragon."

"Ha. More food for my dragon."

"You're not listening. Buster Dragon can turn everything on the field into a dragon-type monster, putting them all at the mercy of the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman's effect. And he can inflict piercing damage, meaning he can deal damage to your Life Points even if your monsters are in defense mode."

"Uh..."

Jasmine smirked. "Yeah, and your dragon has no protection from effects. He's just a generic as hell beat stick. When my Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand is summoned to the field, I can banish your hybrid and have Felgrand's attack increase by the level of your monster times one hundred. So whose dragon is food now, Evan."

Evan scoffed. "Well, it still has its bugs, but I can fix that." He then grew impatient. "You know what? Whatever. I think it's a good boss monster. You girls just think you're all that just because you swarm the field and perform OTK combos that you're good. Well sorry to break it to you, ladies, dueling like that is not skill."

"Excuse me!" snapped Alexis. "You can't even win one duel and you're going to lecture us about skill!"

Evan took a strip of bacon from Mindy's plate ("Hey!"). "You guys find cheap ways to play the game. You always want to end it as fast as you can. That's not skill. That's just cheap."

"Can I punch this guy?" said Alexis. "That's how the game is played now. Sorry to break it to you, Evan, but we're not in the Duelist Kingdom Era anymore. If you want to grow and become a good duelist, you need to accept that."

"I don't need complicated combos to show I'm a good duelist. You're all just jealous because I can cook up cool monsters. Your Divine Dragon and your Buster Blader Destroyer aren't good boss monsters."

"Oh, that's it!" Jasmine said, standing up. "Take that back!"

"What in the hell would you know what a good boss monster is?" said Alice.

Evan shrugged. "Something that's not your giant red chicken, Nepheet, that's for sure."

"Her name is Nephthys! And she's a Phoenix!"

"There''s also one major issue," said Alyssa. "One you totally can't seem to grasp. The fusion monster requires a Blue-Eyes White Dragon as material to create the hybrid. When last I checked, Seto Kaiba is the only one in the world who has the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"Awwwww," Evan groaned sinking into his seat. He stood up and then pushed their plates aside, knocking their lunch to the ground.

"Security!" shouted Alyssa.

"Oh, you're going to need them!" said Evan. "I challenge all you girls to a duel!"

"You can't do that," said a cold voice that sent shivers down Evan's spine. "Now is not the time for these ladies to be playing games."

Evan slowly turned, hoping that the person behind him wasn't who he thought it was. He saw the deep blue eyes of Zane Truesdale, striking him down like a bolt of lightning.

"Hey, Zane," Alexis said cheerfully.

Alice blushed. "Oh...so that's the number one student in the academy."

Zane crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Alice. "Shouldn't you be heading to the gymnasium, Fenix? I believe the Red Arrows are waiting for you."

Alice wasted no time packing her things. "Uh, right. Of course. I'll be on my way then."

Zane nodded in response then looked back at Alyssa, Kami, and Wisteria. "And you three, the swim team is having its meeting. I thought you would be there by now."

"Right," said Wisteria. "Come on, girls. Let's go."

Then Zane looked at Evan. "As for you, I believe you owe these ladies some lunch."

"This doesn't concern you, Zane!" Evan said, trying to keep calm and cool. He looked back at Alice. "And you. Who is he to order you around like that? Who is he to tell you girls what to do? What are they, Zane? Your harem or something."

Zane narrowed his eyes. "Come again?"

"Uh oh," Alexis whispered.

Zane walked closer to Evan. "Were I that inconsiderate," he said coldly. "They're my friends. I'm just reminding them that they have places they need to be and they don't have time to be slumming against a Slifer."

"Then how about you and me go one on one?" shouted Evan. "I've got loads of new cards in my deck and they're itching to take you down!"

Alexis stood up. "Uh, Evan, no. This is Zane. The Kaiser of the Academy. He's the number one student in school for a reason. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"Enough, Alexis," Zane said. "If he wants to duel, he can duel. That's his right. After all, this isn't anything official, so he doesn't have to fill out a request form. I have a little time left before I hit the gym."

"Go easy on him, Zane," said Mindy.

Evan and Zane got into positions and began the match.

**Evan 4000 LP**

**Zane 4000 LP**

"I'll let you go first," said Zane.

"Ha, you're too kind. Watch this. Maybe I can teach you something, Zane. I set a card face-down and summon Gene-Warped Warwolf in attack mode!"

**ATK/2000 DEF/100**

"An interesting opening move," said Zane. "Now, I summon Cyber Dragon!"

He placed the card down on his holographic blade. Then a serpent-like machine slithered from out of a portal of bright light and coiled behind Zane.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1600**

****

"Hey, you're cheating! You can't summon higher level monsters on your first turn!"

"You clearly don't know much about this game if you believe that. Anyways, I can special summon Cyber Dragon because it's my first turn. Now, I use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card!"

A twister of green wind stretched out of Zane's card and smashed the face-down Evan played. But he laughed. A whirlwind of ice and snow appeared where the card one stood.

What was that? Alexis thought.

Evan smiled. I _was hoping you'd do that, Zane!_

"Now, Cyber Dragon, attack Gene-Warped Warwolf! Strident Blast!"

Cyber Dragon opened its mouth and fired a yellow laser beam at the wolf. It growled and burned to ashes in mere seconds.

**Evan 3900 LP**

Zane then used a spell called Different Dimension Capsule. He placed a card into a sarcophagus that came out of the ground and in two turns he could use it. Evan was confident he could take Zane down before then.

Once Zane ended his turn, Evan shouted, "Arise, Silver Sentinel!"

Zane grunted as a warrior dressed warmly in winter clothing and wielding a silver engraved sniper rifle appeared on the field.

Alice was confused. "Hold on, it's still Zane's end phase. How did Evan summon that."

"It's called Silver Sentinel," said Evan. "He's no ordinary monster. I can set him face-down on the field like a spell or trap. And during the end phase of the turn that he's destroyed, I can special summon him to the field. Then I get to target one of your cards and destroy it. And I aim for your Cyber Dragon."

Silver Sentinel aimed his rifle and fired, hitting Cyber Dragon in the eye. The dragon roared and exploded.

"No way!" cried Alyssa. "Evan took him down."

Alexis was at a loss for words. "Wow," she finally said in a whisper. "A monster that can be set like a spell or trap card. He knew Zane was going to pop it somehow. Where did he get a card like that?"

"Not bad, kid," said Zane.

"Really?" Evan said. "Well, if you thought that was impressive, wait till you see what I do next. I summon one of the many rare and powerful cards I acquired this week. Comrade Swordsman of Landstar!"

His creature was a small warrior with a wide sword. He was colored pink and had two antennae coming out of his feather hat. He looked like he came out of a toybox.

**ATK/500 DEF/1200**

Alyssa laughed. "Seriously? Is that one of the new rare cards he was threatening Zane with? Oh, man. I'd hate to see his weaker monsters."

"Don't make fun of him yet," said Alice. "Comrade Swordsman of Landstar is a Tuner."

Wisteria scoffed. "Come on, Evan doesn't know how to use a Tuner...does he?"

"This is for calling me weak!" said Evan. He paused and chuckled in embarrassment. "Uh, Zane. I can Synchro Summon if the levels of the monsters I'm using are equal to the level of the Synchro monster I want to summon, right?"

Zane grinned. "That's it. You got it. Fire away and show me what you've got."

"Gee, thanks," Evan said. "All right. I tune Comrade Swordsman of Landstar with Silver Sentinel. Synchro Summon. Samurai Destroyer!"

Evan held his breath. The monsters merged together with the power of the stars and then turned into a giant robot that had the appearance of a samurai warrior.

**ATK/2600 DEF/1400**

"I did it!" Evan said in disbelief. "I actually did it! I'm a professional! All right, Samurai Destroyer, attack Zane's Life Points directly!"

The robotic samurai drew his tall sword from the sheath on his back. He held it close to his face and his red eyes flashed. Samurai Warrior jumped up high and slammed the blade on the ground, creating a crescent-shaped blue beam that sped towards Zane and slammed into him. But Zane didn't move. He stood there as still as a statue, taking the hit like it was nothing.

Evan was bothered by how cool and collected Zane was. It was a sign that he had been through many difficult duels, meaning that this match probably meant nothing to him. "Uh...you know...you could at least flinch or...something."

**Zane 1400 LP**

**Evan 3900 LP**

"Not bad, Evan, not bad at all," Zane said at last. "You've got what it takes to be something around here. But those buddies of yours are going to hold you back."

"Huh?"

"I've seen you run around with Boris and his gang. That explains all those rare cards in your deck."

"You rotten thief!" shouted Alyssa.

Zane ignored her outburst. "It seems like you know how to use your cards. That's a lot more than I can say about a certain someone that I know. You've got some hidden potential inside of you, Evan. But sadly, it won't be enough to win this match. I discard a light monster to special summon, Galaxy Soldier! Now I activate the effect of the Light monster I discarded. Cyber Dragon Hertz! This card lets me add a Cyber Dragon card to my hand. Now, I'll discard it to the graveyard to summon another Galaxy Soldier. Now, I'll Overlay them both to Xyz Summon, Cyber Dragon Nova!"

The dragons jumped up and flew into a portal in the ground. The portal flashed and sparked. Suddenly a new mechanical dragon rose out of it and roared as it spread its wings, which were lit up with orange circuit board patterns.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1600**

"Xyz Summon!" Evan said with a stutter. "Oh man, I was just getting used to Synchro Summoning."

"But I'm not done yet. I'll remove an Xyz Material from my Cyber Dragon Nova to resurrect one of my Cyber Dragons from the graveyard."

The ground shook and then BOOM! The Cyber Dragon returned to the field.

"Oh no, he's back!" cried Evan.

"And it's going to get worse," said Zane. "Now, I Overlay Cyber Dragon Nova to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Infinity!"

The dragon vanished into another portal. And then arose a longer, darker, and meaner-looking dragon. He was jet black with gold spikes and was glowing with red cybernetic patterns. He was over a mile long and was as tall as a skyscraper.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1600**

"And now for my Cyber Dragon Infinity's special ability," said Zane. "He gains an additional 200 attack points for each Xyz Material attached to it, which will raise him up to 2500. Now I summon Cyber Dragon Core! Don't let this little guy fool you. When he's out on the field, his name is treated as Cyber Dragon. Which brings me to this next card. Machine Duplication! Now, I special summon the final Cyber Dragon from my deck!"

"Yeah, Zane!" cheered Jasmine.

"I warned him," Alexis said with a sigh. "Evan never stood a chance."

Zane held up his next card. I now use Monster Reborn to bring back the Cyber Dragon you destroyed earlier with your Silver Sentinel. Now, I've got all three Cyber Dragons out. But they won't be around for long...in present form. I activate the spell, Power Bond! Now I fuse together my three Cyber Dragon to create...the Cyber End Dragon!"

Evan didn't like the sound of that. The dragon Zane created with all three beasts was colossal in size. He had never seen anything like it. Its wingspan was long, only dwarfed by the Cyber Dragon Infinity. The dragon's body was made of brilliant chrome that shined brightly in the afternoon sun.

**ATK/4000 DEF/2800**

"Thanks to my Power Bond spell, my Cyber End Dragon's attack gets doubled."

"Doubled!" shouted Evan.

**ATK/8000**

"But I'm not through with you yet, Evan. This is what you deserve for stooping low. If you want to act like a thug, you're going to get punished like one. I use the spell, Limiter Removal, which doubles the attack points of all machine monsters I control!

**Cyber Dragon Infinity ATK/5000**

**Cyber End Dragon ATK/16000**

The dragons attacked him mercilessly. They completely atomized his Samurai Destroyer and then wiped out the rest of his Life Points. Evan was sent flying halfway across the grass and landed on the dirt path on his back.

"You'll never be good unless you duel with honor and respect," said Zane. "Running around with duel gangs is going to get you nowhere. You have potential, so do yourself a favor and unlock it. The right way."

Evan stood up. "Sh-shut up!" he said. "I don't need your advice. The only reason I could stand toe-to-toe with the likes of you is because of Boris. They may be a bunch of bullies, but they can't help it. Especially not towards people who treat us like scum just because of the color of our jackets."

Alice grimaced at those words.

"I'll get more rare cards. I'll get better. And when I do, I'm taking you down and become the rank one duelist in school. You'll see. Just you wait!" He hobbled away.

"I look forward to that match," Zane said. Evan stopped. He grunted and kept walking away. Zane shrugged and looked at Alice. "So you're Alice."

"Y-yes."

Alexis giggled, patting her hand. "Take it easy, Alice. He won't bite."

"I heard about what you did to Boris. Nice work. I can see why you've been personally selected to join the Red Arrows. Enora always did have a sixth sense for talent. Speaking of which, I believe she's waiting for you."

Alice gasped. "Oh, shoot!" Alice gathered her things and ate the last chunk of her cookie. "Thank you for reminding me. Bye, guys."

"Just a heads up," said Zane. "Those aren't going to be ordinary duels you'll be playing. They're going to push you to your limits. So stay strong. And good luck."

Alice didn't know what Zane meant by that. But she nodded once as a way of saying thank you. She put on her backpack and darted down the road to the dome where Enora told her to meet, wondering what in the world this team had in store for her.


	8. Dance of the Flaming Gods

**Alice**

Feeling pumped after seeing Zane's duel earlier, Alice headed for the gymnasium with high spirits. She felt like she was running faster than she ever did before, even longer. The island felt like it was going by in a big blur of a thousand colors only slowing down when there was someone in her way so she could move out of the way. Besides people, she didn't seem to care who was in her way. Not even the two monsters in the middle of a duel.

"Fiend Skull Dragon attack Freed the Matchless General!" shouted the duelist controlling the underground beast.

"I activate my trap card, Inspiration, now that will increase my warrior's attack by seven hundred points!"

"I activate my trap card, Seven Tools of the Bandit! Now your trap is huh —"

Alice ran right between the two monsters as they tumbled around fighting for dominance. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" she called out as she sprinted down the white-stone road back to the academy, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

"Hey, you can't do that!" shouted the other duelist.

Finally, she made it to the gymnasium where the Red Arrows were holding their tryouts. The walls were made of white limestone and it had a giant reef inside with thousands of colorful fish, including sharks. Above on the round ceiling were two giant crystal chandeliers giving the gymnasium such an elegance.

Alice had to ask around to see where she needed to go and get her registration done and over with. She was pointed to a small office where there was a nurse sitting behind her desk and scribbling down a few notes. She was a very pretty woman, with long black hair highlighted with gray and she had brilliant green eyes giving off a friendly appearance. The sign outside her door read Dr. Kendrix, who Alice guessed was one of the school nurses. Instead of a white coat, she donned a black one with intricate white patterns and gold triangle designs on the sleeves, and she had three chokers around her neck. Alice sniffed the air coming from her office. It smelled so sweet it was pungent and there was a radio on the top shelf playing old opera music.

Alice approached the office and knocked on the door. "Excuse me? I was told to come here."

Dr. Kendrix finished scribbling a few more things before she set her pen down and looked up at Alice. She smiled and said: "Oh, are you here for the tryouts?"

"Yes, do you know where I must go to sign up for my duel?"

"I do, but you need to see me first." She got up from her seat. As she passed by Alice, she gave the scent of strong lavender perfume. The doctor closed the blinds to the one window by her desk and then shut the door and locked it. "Okay, sweetie, if you could go into that room in there and get undressed, I'll begin your examination. Let me know when you are ready. Also, you're going to need to fill this up."

She handed Alice a cup, making her twitch with uneasiness.

"What's all this for?" Alice asked.

"Take off your clothes," the doctor said, sitting down on her chair and taking out a few pink papers and other documents from her desk. "Come on, spit spot. There are going to be others who need to take this physical."

"A physical for a duel?" Alice said, taking off her blazer and undoing her tie. "Seems a bit much don't you think?"

"Not around here it doesn't," Dr. Kendrix said, flipping through her stacks of papers. "There's a bit of an epidemic around here. There's a plant the students are taking advantage of called Blue Dragon. It's a toxic flower that can only be found on this island. It's usually found pretty high up in the mountains, which many of our students are prohibited from going to. However, we're not the only ones living here. There's a resort town on the other side of the island called North Point. It's where our students go to get loose and enjoy some free time at the beaches and clubs. However, there are a few individuals out there who venture to the mountains to find the flower, turn it into pills or powder and then sell it to our students."

"What does the flower do?" Alice took her blouse off and reverently folded it before placing it on a chair.

"It's highly praised by our students for their effect on the mind. It can boost your intelligence, your creativity, how fast you think. What a perfect drug for a school. The flowers have a powerful nootropic that increases memory-related functions and speeds other mental processes. Sadly, the effect of the flower is ephemeral, leaving the user tired and sluggish and even depressed with suicidal thoughts once it wears off. It also causes the heart to beat rapidly. Sadly, a student here died from cardiac arrest after he overdosed on some powder. Since that tragedy, Fonda Fontaine and I have worked together to set up a task force and send them on expeditions to the mountains so they can find the Blue Dragon flower and destroy it. It's an invasive species anyway, which kills other plants around it, much like a sea urchin does."

"Ah, I see." Alice took her skirt down. "Um, I'm ready. Or should I take my underwear off too?"

"No, darling, you're fine. Hurry to the toilet now. I'm going to require a urine sample from you."

"What for!" Alice cried out.

"Now, now. It's just to make sure you haven't used the plant. The toilet is behind the screen. Let me know when you're finished."

Alice did so timidly. When she was done with her exam she put her clothes back on and waited for her results, which came by a lot quicker than she had anticipated. A little too fast. She had heard that Kaiba Corp had developed cutting edge technology in the fields of medicine but never anything like this. After a few things were signed, Alice was given a clean bill of health to join the team. She put on her backpack and shook hands with Kendrix before walking out into the gymnasium where there were already some duels taking place. One of then was Enora taking on a new recruit.

The new girl, a young thing with long brown hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon, started her turn by placing a card face-down and summoning Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner. After that, she ended her turn.

"I draw," Enora said. She added her card to her hand and looked at her cards to weigh her options. "Okay, I think I can cook up something with this. I activate, Charge of the Light Brigade. With this spell, I send three cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard. I will add a Lumina of my own to my hand and summon her."

She placed the card on her card on the golden holographic blade of her Duel Disk, which looked like scrollwork. Everything about her machine looked regal.

"I activate my trap card," said the other girl. "Paleozoic Canadia! Now your monster gets flipped face-down."

"Disrupting my plays," Enora said with a confident smile. "Not bad. Well, I guess I have no choice but to end my turn. Your move, Rachel."

"Okay, I draw! Now, from my graveyard, I special summon Glow-Up Bulb!"

Her field flashed with a bright light, which formed into a strange-looking plant with an eye at the roots.

"Then, with Lumina's effect, I discard a card and special summon Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn!"

Lumina clasped her hands together and prayed. Then, Raiden appeared next to her. He was a tall tan-skinned man, wearing no shirt, but he had an indigo cloak over his neck and blue pants underneath white and gold grieves. He carried an oddly-shaped golden dagger.

**ATK/1700 DEF/1000**

"Perfect. Now, I discard to cards from the top of my deck, and if any of them were Lightsworns, he gains an extra 200 attack points. Ah, what do you know, there's one. So now his attack increases to 1900. But Raiden won't be around for long. Watch. I Tune him and Lumina to Synchro Summon the mighty Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn!"

Alice covered her eyes with her forearm to shield them from the bright flash created by the Synchro Summoning. The light subsided and she heard something large roaring in the arena. She lowered her arm and saw an angel armored in gold riding a white-feathered dragon. It was so large it took over the entire arena's ceiling space.

**ATK/2600 DEF/2000**

"Wow, that's impressive," Enora said.

"And you haven't seen anything yet," said Rachel. "I pay one-thousand of my Life Points to banish a card from your field."

The white dragon Michael was riding on blew flames at Enora's face-down Lumina. The Lightsworn Summoner screeched as her body was set ablaze and she shrunk down to mere cinders. Then Michael jumped off his dragon at Rachel's command and slashed Enora across the chest, dealing 2600 points of damage. Her Life Point counter plummeted to 1400.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," Enora said, rubbing her belly. "You have what it takes to be a Red Arrow after all."

"Um, thanks. Well, I set a card and end my turn."

"Haven't you forgotten something, little one?" Enora said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, yeah. Michael mills three cards from the top of my deck. Ah, but one of them is this card. Felis, Lightsworn Archer. I'll summon her in defense mode."

She summoned a girl with green hair and cat ears. She carried a golden bow, which she used a shield to defend herself.

**ATK/1100 DEF/2000**

"Well, I take it Michael is your ace, correct? Well, let's see how he fares against mine. I activate the ritual spell, Super Soldier Synthesis."

"And I activate the trap, Solemn Warning!"

"Oh no!"

"Yeah, I know about your Black Luster Soldier, Enora. And I came prepared. Now, your spell is canceled out and you can't summon your soldier."

"Damn!" Enora sighed. "Well, I end my turn."

"Yay! I'm gonna win! Micahel, the Arch-Lightsworn, attack, and end this duel!"

"I don't think so! From my hand, I use Kiteroid!"

"Aww no! Now you take no damage!"

The strange kite creature flew out of nowhere and took the hit, saving Enora's Life Points.

"Aw, darn it, I was so close! I send three cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard and end my turn."

"I draw!" Enora said. The heartbeat monitor next to her Life Points was growing red and the line was getting straighter. She smiled anyway. "All right. Rachel. Do you trust your deck?"

"Well, I built it pretty well —"

"—No, do you trust your deck? You know if you do that, it will almost always lead you to victory. I trust my deck so much that I've developed a bond with my cards. Yugi Muto taught us all to do that. The Heart of the Cards. And here's the proof."

Enora held up a card.

"No! Another Super Soldier Synthesis card!"

Alice gasped. "Now way! That had to be one of the luckiest draws I've ever seen!"

A cauldron of purple fire erupted behind Enora. "Now, I must sacrifice Evening Twilight Knight and Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn from my deck to summon the Black Luster Soldier!"

The girls in the Red Arrows cheered as soon as the soldier armored in black and gold emerged out of the cauldron's flames. He stepped out with strong, loud, clanking footsteps. There were still flames flickering off his armor and a dark-red plume swung back and forth from the top of his helmet. Black Luster Soldier stopped directly behind Alice, who took her phone out and started taking selfies with her knight. She gave a V for victory with her fingers and stuck her tongue out.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"Now, let's see what we can do here," Enora said, putting her phone away. "Ah, yes. Black Luster Soldier's special ability activates. I'll banish a card from your hand face-down."

Rachel opened up her holographic help screen on her duel disk to research the card. "Hey, wait a minute. Black Luster Soldier doesn't have any effects. He's a normal ritual monster."

"Not anymore, he's not," Enora said with a tease. "See, I used Evening Twilight Knight as a sacrifice for the ritual." She held up the card for her opponent to see. "Does he look familiar."

"Hey, he kind of looks like Black Luster Soldier."

"That's right. Because he's new support for the soldier. Now, as I was saying, when he's sent to the graveyard for being used as a sacrifice for a Black Luster Soldier, it gives that Black Luster Soldier special abilities. Two every neat abilities. First, I banish a card from your hand, face-down. Next, I will banish your Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn."

Black Luster Soldier's sword started glowing purple and he swung it, tearing a hole in the dimension. Michael's dragon tried to hang on tight, but they were both sucked in and banished from the game.

Rachel was in complete disbelief at what she saw. How could that be? Monsters that gave monsters abilities from the graveyard? And such powerful ones too. "NO! Aww, that's not fair!" she whined.

"Now, it's time to start cleaning up your board! Black Luster Soldier, attack Raiden!"

Black Luster Soldier ran towards the Hand of the Lightsworn and slashed him across the chest. Raiden gurgled and then shattered like glass.

"I'm not giving up!" said Rachel. "Ha! Wow, this is great. Looks like some of your luck has rubbed off on me, Enora. I use Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next, I use the spell, Charge of the Light Brigade, and add a card to my hand. Here comes Lumina and with her effect, I call upon Raiden! You know what that means. I'm going to use them to bring back Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn!"

"He's back," Alice whispered, her legs wobbling with excitement.

"Now, I pay a thousand Life Points to banish your soldier!"

"I don't think you will, Rachel. It's not going to be that easy. When you summoned Michael again, I activate the effect of Ghost Mourner and Moonlit Chill. When you special summon a monster, I can discard Ghost Mourner and negate that monster's effects."

"So what! I'm still taking down your soldier! Michael, attack!"

"You're not fit to join our team," said Enora. "From my hand, I activate the effect of Envoy of Chaos! Now, Black Luster Soldier gains 1500 attack points, rasing him to 4500."

"NOOOO!"

Black Luster Soldier jumped up high, stepped on the dragon's head to give himself a boost, then slashed Michael across the chest, destroying him and a good chunk of Rachel's Life Points.

"This is your last chance, Rachel. Can you make a comeback?"

"I draw!" she said nervously. She shook her head and sighed. "I end my turn."

"Then I'll attack you directly with Black Luster Soldier and end the duel!"

The soldier charged forward and swung his sword, slashing Rachel across the chest and knocking her down. Her Life Points went falling down to 0.

Enora looked at three girls at a nearby table who were judging the results. "What do you say, ladies?"

"You really built a solid deck," said Denise, an olive-skinned physically-fit young lady with a blue hairband in her jet-black hair. She tapped her pen against her clipboard wondering what else to say. "Ah, yes. You seem to know what cards to play as well. You make up great combos and the Lightsworns are a pretty tricky deck to get used to, especially for beginners. You have a lot of energy in you and I like that. There's a lot of fire in you! We need more girls like you on the team. But unfortunately, all that skill, all that potential, and all that beautiful spirit are ruined by…"

She moved her hand in circles. "I don't know what to say. You seemed eager. You just rushed in, ready to smack at your opponent's Life Points. That's not a good thing to do on the field. That kind of mindset of rushing in can lead to a lot of problems. Duel Monsters is a very complex game and there are cards made to get you out of any situation as you've seen with Enora's Envoy of Chaos. Even in our hands, cards are deadly. Look, baby, I'm not going to say yes but I'm not going to say no. I'm going to put you on call."

A sweet-looking girl with long wavy light blue hair took her chin off the palm of her hand and gave Rachel her views. "I agree with everything Denise said. You're energetic, you have great deck-building skills, and you know how to make use of your cards. But you are very impatient. And that can make or break a duelist, honey. We want to win. But we have to keep a cool head and think about our options. I see in your hand that you had a Dark Hole. Why didn't you use it?"

"She did?" Enora said. "That really could have turned things around."

"I'm sorry. I was so discouraged when she took down Michael that I guess I wasn't thinking straight."

"As Aqua said," commented a girl with short, fiery red hair named Lilly. "You need to keep a cool head. You've got great skills, but they're never going to evolve if you keep on playing with a fogged mind. Aqua, what's your verdict."

"I'm with Denise on this one. I'm going to have to say On-call."

"On-call for me as well," said Lilly, stacking her papers. "You know what that means, honey?"

Rachel shook her head.

"It means that you have a second chance. We're holding one more tryout next week for girls marked as On-Call. Keep practicing and show us what you've got next time. Okay?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you very much!" Rachel bowed then shook hands with Enora before packing her things and leaving the arena.

When she left, Enora looked down and spotted Alice. "Ah, there you are. My duelist of cerulean wings. I've been looking forward to this. Sit right there while I find your opponent. If things go well, this should be really interesting."

As she left, she felt a pat on her back. Alice turned around and saw Alexis, already wearing the red, white, and black rhinestone bow of the Red Arrows. It sparkled brightly on the top of her head, making her look so regal.

"Hey!" Alice said hugging her. "You signed up too?"

"Of course, I did. I'm ready to show the world what I've got by fighting for this team. We're the cream of the crop, Alice, the best female duelists in the region. And we have to work hard to keep that title in the upcoming competitions this year. Check this out."

She led her down the hall to a trophy room. The shelves were filled with golden plaques, tall, golden, decorative trophies, and championship cups. Pictures hung on the wall with teams from the past posing together at the end of a big tournament.

"Wow, this is amazing. They did all this?"

"You can thank Fonda Fontaine and Superintendent Irmella for this. They fought hard to give us girls a chance to prove ourselves. If the guys can go out into the world and display their dominance, why can't we? Seto Kaiba was quick to allow it. As cold as he is, even he believes everyone has an equal chance to prove themselves. Before long, lots of schools all over the world joined in on the program and formed all-female teams of their own. You know, Alice, for many years, a lot of jerks have said that Duel Monsters is a man's game. We're just cheerleaders with pretty monsters to ogle at. Or female duelists are just some prize for a hotshot duelist to use as arm candy."

Alexis narrowed her eyes. "Well, not anymore. I'm sure as hell am done being looked at that way. You have no idea how many guys out there see me as some treasure to be claimed. A piece of ass to tap at night. Some party favor to squeeze when they win their duels. Pfft. Those days are over! We can duel just as good as Zane or even Yugi. Maybe even better. Now it's our time to shine, Alice. Welcome to the revolution."

**Evan**

Feeling horribly broken by his devastating loss to Zane, Evan decided to take a long walk across the Dueling Gardens. He was surrounded on all sides by hedges with beautiful flowers. Colorful butterflies flew around from flower to flower, and gentle birds hopped on the branches of the trees as they sang a gentle tune.

Swift! Swift! Their little wings flapped as they soared around. There were even peach trees where students could help themselves. Evan wasn't in the mood. He instead munched on a chocolate bar. The place would have been a paradise had it not been for it bustling with activity. The head of a Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss reared over one of the hedges and blew fire at a defenseless Neo the Magic Swordsman. Across the pond, filled with green water, Evan saw two players from Ra Yellow going at it. One of them had a Mother Grizzly out on the field and the other player was boasting about the power of his Twin-Headed Fire Dragon.

He wanted to join in on the action, but he sadly gained a less than favorable reputation. He stopped by a fountain and sat down to ponder what in the world he had gotten into. Maybe coming to this school wasn't such a good idea. He thought he made a friend with Alice, but then ended terribly because of a freak accident. He tried his hand against Jaden, but that didn't work. He thought his new cards could help him stand a chance against Zane, but that didn't work out, and he lost in front of Alexis and the rest of her friends from the Obelisk Blue. He could not get over that. Evan's loss to Zane cut his ego into bits like someone used a flaming hot sword to slice through butter. He sat down by the edge of the pond and sighed, watching the limestone fountain with the statue of a revered doctor standing on the top of it. Evan read the copper plaque at the base of the statue.

**Dr. Roland Rhys**

He must have been quite the contributor to the academy in order to have a statue of himself erected on the school grounds. Evan sighed sadly, wishing that someday he would be important enough to have a big statue erected in his honor. He took a coin out of his pocket and wished for good luck as he tossed it in.

Suddenly, the water near the edge of the pond started to bubble. Something was rising up to the surface. Evan gasped and backed away, thinking it was some kind of monster. But as he looked closely at it, he could see long hair waving underneath the sparkling surface of the water. And then he lost his breath when he realized it was a girl! She had been swimming in the water. She gracefully climbed out of the water and sighed. She wore a heart-stopping gleaming white bikini outlined with blue. The girl stretched and pulled the back of her bikini with a snap before she fixed her bright yellow hair, which glittered constantly.

Evan couldn't believe what he was seeing. He looked down at the coin he tossed into the water and whispered: Thank you.

But he did not whisper this quietly enough. The girl heard him and turned her head to look at him. Evan expected her to start screaming and calling for help but instead, she smiled at him.

"Hi," she said, digging around behind a rock to find a towel, which she used to pat herself dry.

Evan said nothing and just watched her dry her arms, belly, and legs. She had very nice legs and a plump rump, which he could not stop staring at. There was something glimmering around her neck. They appeared to be dog tags. They jingled as they waved to-and-fro in front of her chest. The girl looked back up to see if Evan had answered. He did not.

"What's the matter?" she asked, finding a pair of denim cutoffs to slip into. "Cat got your tongue?" There was an iridescent sparkle in her purplish-blue eyes that just made them look like the shimmering foil of a secret rare card. That's how Evan could describe her. She was like a rare card crafted into human form. She just seemed rare as well. A girl who was too good to be true. Someone you didn't meet every day.

Evan couldn't stop smiling. The girl noticed this and giggled. Evan realized he was watching this and shook his head and slapped his cheeks to wake himself up. "I uh...I'm sorry. I didn't know there was anyone here. I'll head somewhere else. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's no bother really." Her secret rare eyes shimmered as she put on a white tank top. Again, her dog tags jingled. "What's your name, buddy?"

"M-my name's Evan."

"Evan, huh? You wouldn't by any chance be the same Evan who got trounced by Zane Truesdale earlier today, would you?" She tied her sparkly hair with a blue rabbit ear headband.

Evan went red and he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm guilty as charged," he said.

"Well, I'm not one to leave a noobie on the ropes, so I think I have just the right thing for you." She opened her Kitchen Sink backpack then dug around her things. Evan heard a lot of stuff clanking dangerously against each other in there, but the girl didn't seem to care.

"Ah," she said when she found what she was looking for. It looked like a polished wooden cigar box, and it had all sorts of compartments to keep her best cards. She searched around for some cards to give just for him.

"What's your name?" Evan asked.

"Priscilla. Ah, here we are. I think this guy will come in handy in a tight spot." She handed him quite a number of cards.

"Whoa, what's this?" Evan asked. "Wow! Flash Knight! But...he's a Pendulum Monster. How do I use a Pendul—"

He looked up. Priscilla was gone. She just vanished into thin air. "Priscilla?" He moved his head left to right. "Priscilla? Ah, nuts. The cute ones always get away from me."

He searched through the cards that Pricilla gave him. They all were very wonderful cards, but the one that stood out the most was…

"Wow! Number 44: Sky Pegasus. Really? This is a rare Number Card. Why would she give me this?" He sprinted into the gardens looking for Priscilla. "Hey! Hey, where are you? I want to thank you for the cards. Hey, Priscilla! At least let me give you something for —"

"There you are!" shouted a member from Boris's gang. He had three more thugs beside him. "We heard what you did earlier today. What the hell were you thinking going up against Zane Truesdale!"

"Hey, relax! I almost beat him! I was this —"

Before he could finish a big guy with orange hair punched him in the stomach. Evan gasped and fell to his knees.

"Almost don't cut it, dumb ass! We've got a reputation to uphold around here. Everyone, even the Blues, fears us! And if they see the big dogs like Zane taking us out one by one, they'll figure out that we're not to be taken seriously! The boss wants to have a word with you, Evan. Come on!"

Two Crusaders picked Evan up by the arms and dragged him away.

**Alice**

It seemed to take forever for Enora to find her opponent but after a long wait, Enora arrived with a young lady sporting long brown hair with golden streaks. She had a bright smile on her face and extended her hand at once to greet Alice.

"Cynthia Von Bismark," she said with a bow. "Daughter of Lord Revan of the Kingdom of Misgarth. So nice to meet you. Enora said she sees a lot of potential in you. And I have no doubts. She's never wrong about these things."

"That I am not," said Enora. "The moment I met her I just had this feeling in my gut that this girl was something special. Nevermind she had an unfortunate 'accident' at the hands of a few bullies (Alice looked away and blushed) but she stood strong and held her ground. Not long afterward, she defeated said bully in a duel, and she did so beautifully. She's Red Arrow material, Cynthia, I can feel it."

"Well, now it's time to test that out, don't you think?" She slapped on a custom-made duel disk made specifically for the Red Arrow team.

"Wow!" Alice said, marveling at its architecture and bright red holographic decor.

"You want one of these? Well, you'll have to earn it. Come on. Let us begin."

They took their positions. Alice breathed heavily and crossed herself. This was it.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"I shall star first, if you don't mind," said Cynthia. She drew. Her cards were protected with very elegant black sleeves with scrollwork designs shimmering in gold. "I set a monster and end my turn. All right, Alice, the judges are watching, so play your best. Just pretend this is any other duel at school. Okay?"

"Thank you! I draw!"

**Turn 2**

Alice examined her hand. She smiled and felt confidence warming her chest with a fuzzy feeling. Maybe she could do this after all.

"I play Pre-Preparation of Rites! This lets me add a ritual spell and a ritual monster to my hand. Now, I use the spell, Rebirth of Nephthys!"

A cauldron standing in front of a statue of a large bird appeared behind Alice. A lovely monster called Hand of Nephtys was hovering over the flames. She extended her arms and let the flames consume her.

"Now, I ritual summon, Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode!"

The Red Arrows watching the duel clapped when Alice summoned a woman dressed in beautiful garbs resembling the Cerulean Phoenix.

**ATK/1200 DEF/1200**

"All right, things are all set. I use Devotee of Nephtys's effect to special summon Hand of Nephthys. Next, I use Hand of Nephthys's effect. By sacrificing her and Devotee of Nephythys, I can special summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys from my deck!"

Both priestesses were taken by flames, which rose up and took the form of a giant golden phoenix with fiery hair, a fiery tail, and fiery blades coming from her elbows. She screeched into the air and spread her wings to show everyone in the arena her glory.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1600**

"Now, I send a Nephthys card from my hand to the graveyard and special summon Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode. Next, I set a card face-down and attack your monster with Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

The phoenix screeched again and flapped her wings, creating a firestorm that incinerated the monster in defense mode. A Kidmodo Dragon!

"Why, thank you, Alice," said Cynthia. "Now, with Kidmodo Dragon destroyed, I can summon a dragon from my hand. Say hello to Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4!"

A vortex of purple fire burst in front of Cynthia, sending bright, violet embers into the air. Then the flames gave birth to a falcon-like dragon with a body made of platinum.

**ATK/1600 DEF/1000**

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Enora said, stuffing a cherry lollipop into her mouth.

"Oh dear," said Alice. "I'd hate to see what kind of surprises he's got in store. I end my turn."

**Turn 3**

"I have to admit I'm very impressed by the way you duel," Cynthia said. She drew her card. "You have wonderful synergy. Each of your cards works well with one another and you know just what to play. But will it be enough for this? First, I use Stamping Destruction! When I have a dragon on the field, I can destroy one of your spell or trap cards! Go Horus! Do your stuff."

Horus let out a high-pitched metallic caw and took to the air. He soared around the arena and then extended his left talon. He smashed the card to pieces. Dimensional Prison. That would have banished an attacking monster had Alice activated it.

"That's not all, dear," Cynthia teased. "Now you take 500 points of damage!"

Alice gasped and looked up at Horus. He opened his beak and from deep inside his metallic throat, she saw a horrifying orange glow. Alice shrieked and crossed her arms over her face. Horus blasted her with purple flames. Alice could feel the heat kissing her flesh, stinging it.

**Alice 3500 LP**

"Normally, when Horus the Black Flame Dragon attacks a monster, it levels up. But in this case, why wait to see my baby chick grow. I sacrifice him and summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6!"

The purple flames returned and turned into a twisting cloud of violet embers. When it subsided, Horus appeared in his new form. He was taller and his wings were wider and his eyes were burning red.

**ATK/2300 DEF/1600**

Enora whistled. "Look at the size of that thing."

"Yeah, but Alice's Sacred Phoenix is still stronger," said Alexis.

Enora giggled. "For now."

"Now, Alice, I attack your Devotee of Nephthys with Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6!"

The dragon flew backward with a flap of his mighty wings, creating a powerful gust of wind. His eyes flashed and he released a stream of black fire hued with red towards the Devotee of Nephthys. Her garbs turned to cinders leaving her half-naked as she bathed in black fire. She screamed and shattered into pieces.

"Now, I end my turn, and when I do, Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 6 evolves into Horus the Black Flame Level 8!"

Now a tornado of purple and black fire burst out of the ground and surrounded Horus. His transformation was quick and he spread his wings, dispersing the tornado. He revealed a colossal-sized creature whose body was made of glittering platinum. The Red Arrows oohed and cheered, while some snapped photos with their phones. Cynthia was sure quick to do that. She took a phone with a black case with a gold fleur-de-lis in the back, which she kept strapped to her belt and started taking pictures of herself and the beast.

**ATK/3000 DEF/1800**

"Your move, Alice. Do you have what it takes to defeat my dragon?"

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. I draw!"

**Turn 4**

"I activate the spell —"

"Hold on!" Cynthia said, brushing a few bangs off her face. "Sorry, sweetie. I'm going to be nice here and give a word of warning for you. Every time you cast a spell, Horus's effect activates. He's not a big fan of spell cards, so when you activate one, he'll negate it and destroy it."

It didn't take long for Alice to comprehend what was going on. She felt a bead of sweat go down her forehead. The negation of spells every time?

"Wait!? What!? That means I can't use any of my rituals!"

"Bingo," Cynthia said, tapping her forehead.

"Aw, hell!" yelled Alexis. "Alice's whole deck runs on ritual monsters. If she can't use her ritual spells, her strongest monsters all but useless. What's she going to do now?"

"She's going to have to figure some way out of this mess," Enora replied. She crunched down on her lollipop to get to the sugary bubble gum at the center. "Remember, a Red Arrow knows what to do in any situation. Surely Alice has something in there that can aid her in this mess."

Alice nervously checked her hand. "I discard a Nephthys card to special summon Devotee of Nephthys in defense mode. Then, I switch Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to defense mode as well. Then I set a card face-down and I end my turn."

**Turn 5**

"All right, Alice. Looks like I'm in control now. I use A Feather of the Phoenix. I discard a card and send Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4 back to the top of my deck. Next, I attack your Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys with Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!"

Horus reared up his head and fired a black jet of fire at the Sacred Phoenix. It shrieked from the horrible, burning pain and shattered like glass. Alice grunted, shielding her face from the debris with her forearm.

"Your turn, my sweet. Come on, don't go proving Enora wrong, now. She's on a winning streak when it comes to her gut instinct."

**Turn 6**

"Don't go celebrating just yet, Cynthia! This duel is just getting started. I summon Disciple of Nephthys!"

Alice called on a little girl in red, orange, and brown robes. Her eyes were concealed by her large ceremonial hat. She giggled nevertheless, happy to be out on the field.

**ATK/0 DEF/2000**

"She doesn't look like much, but wait till you see this. First, I discard a card in my hand and add a Nephthys card to my hand. Now, the conditions are set for a Link Summon. I tribute both Devotee of Nephthys and Disciple of Nephthys to Link Summon Nephthys, the Sacred Preserver!"

The ground shook behind Alice and then a statue of the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys rose up until it almost touched the domed ceiling.

**ATK/1200 LINK -2**

"Now, I activate the Sacred Preservers effect!" Alice declared.

The flames in the cauldrons on either side of the statue burst violently upon the activation of the spell.

"I get to add a level-eight Winged-Beast and a ritual card to my hand! Next, I discard a Nephthys card to special summon Devotee of Nephthys to the field! And now, I'll activate the trap card, Torrential Tribute."

Cynthia gasped and stepped backward. "OH NO! Now all our cards are destroyed!"

A giant tidal wave rose up from behind Alice and washed all the cards off the field, wiping the board clear. Now, they were both back to square one.

"That's just about all I can do," said Alice. "I end my turn. Your move."

**Turn 7**

"You're pretty good, Alice. My congratulations. But let's see how long your luck will last. I draw. Ah, yes. Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 4, the one I revived with my spell card. I'll summon him and attack your Life Points directly!"

Horus appeared right in front of Alice. He flapped his wings, screeched and showered Alice with purple flames. "AAAAUUUUGGGH!" she screamed.

**Alice 1900 LP**

**Cynthia 4000 LP**

**Turn 8**

"Oh man, this is getting tense," Alexis said with a shiver. "Poor Alice. She didn't even scratch Cynthia's Life Points."

"Hold on, hold on," Enora chuckled calmly. "I have a feeling, Alice knew she was going to take damage for that play she just made. The card she used to special summon her Devotee was…"

BANG! Flames erupted behind Alice and she summoned her Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to the field.

"What? How?" Alexis asked.

"Because, when the Sacred Phoenix is sent to the graveyard due to a card effect, she can return to the field on the next standby phase. Alice knew she would put herself at risk of losing Life Points by wiping out the board with her Torrential Tribute card, but it played out well in the end. Not only did she get rid of Cynthia's Level 8 Horus, but she got her Sacred Phoenix back again, so she's managed to put herself back on her feet."

"Nice! Maybe she can win this after all."

Meanwhile, up on the arena, Cynthia smiled. "So she returns. You and that bird are inseparable, Alice."

"My Sacred Phoenix and I are like a team, Cynthia. When we're together, anything is possible. Now, I discard a Nephthys card from my hand to bring back a friend who just hates saying goodbye. Come, Devotee of Nephthys! Next, I activate Pre-Preparation of Rites, allowing me to add a ritual monster and a ritual spell to my hand! Now, I activate the spell, Rebirth of Nephthys! I sacrifice Sacred Phoenix to ritual summon, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

The Sacred Phoenix's body was growing bigger and bigger, and her golden armor turned dark blue.

**ATK/3000 DEF/1000**

"Argh!" Cynthia could not believe she actually summoned her monster. She had nothing in her hand to stop the oncoming attack. The Cerulean Sacred Phoenix summoned blue meteors that pummeled Horus to bits.

**Turn 9**

**Alice 1900 LP**

**Cynthia 2600 LP**

"I've never been outplayed like this before. Got leave it to Enora. Always right about people. I summon a monster in defense mode."

**Turn 10**

"I attack your monster!"

Cerulean Sacred Phoenix blasted the monster with a beam from the crystal on her chest. It was a Masked Dragon, which let Cynthia summon another one in defense mode.

**Turn 11**

Cynthia drew, hoping to God the deck wasn't stacked against her. She needed just one card. One card. She looked at the card. Damn. It was another Masked Dragon. She set it down and ended her turn. At least her defenses were building and she could bide some time to counter Alice's ace monster.

"Come on, Alice," Alexis whispered, now stepping around on the tips of her toes.

**Turn 12**

"Draw! I summon Matriarch of Nephthys! With her ability, I can summon Hand of Nephthys from the graveyard. All right, Cynthia, the conditions are set for a Link Summon. I offer Hand of Nephthys, Devotee of Nephthys, and Matriarch of Nephthys to Link Summon Nephthys, the Sacred Flame!"

The rest of the Red Arrows clapped again and cheered when scarlet flames erupted from the ground. Out from them rose Nephthys herself. Her armor was red and outlined with gold and decorated with blue gems. The flames pluming the top of her head, tail, and arms were the color of bright gold. She gave a mighty call that caused the arena to shake.

**ATK/2400 LINK -3**

Alice attacked with both monsters, wiping Cynthia's field clean. She didn't have any monsters to summon with her Masked Dragon's effect. It looked like she was out of options. But she wasn't ready to give up yet.

**Turn 13**

"I hope I can turn this around,' Cynthia whispered. She drew. "Ha! Perfect. Check it out, Alice. Your little miracle ends here. I use the spell, Level Modulation!"

"That's not good," said Enora.

Cynthia laughed and brushed some bangs off her face. "First, you draw two cards. Next, I can summon a LV monster from the graveyard, ignoring its summoning conditions."

Alice gasped. "Aw, shit!"

"That's right! Arise, Horus the Black Flame Dragon Level 8!"

The tornado of black flames rose up again and Horus used his wings to disperse it so he could reveal himself. He was back with a vengeance.

Horus and Nephthys roared at each other and measured themselves out as they prepared for combat.

"Lucky for you, Horus cannot attack or use his effect the turn he's summoned with this card," Cynthia bragged. "I end my turn."

**Turn 14**

"I set a card face-down. That's it for me."

Alexis let out a heavy sigh. "So what do you think?" she asked Enora. "How's it looking?"

"It could go either way at this point. It all depends on what that face-down card is and what Cynthia is going to do about it."

**Turn 15**

"I may not have drawn anything that can help me take down your Cerulean Phoenix, Alice, but your Sacred Flame is the perfect target. And if you think about activating any spells to boost their power, think again. Remember, Horus will negate and destroy them. Now, Horus, attack her Sacred Flame!"

Horus blasted his beam of black fire at Sacred Flame Phoenix. She shielded herself from the attack with her wings. The attack still dealt 600 damage to Alice's Life Points, but the Nephthys of the Sacred Flame still stood.

Cynthia balled her fists, angry that the attack somehow left her phoenix unphased. "But wait, what's going on here? Your Sacred Flame is still standing? Horus should have destroyed your monster."

Alice waited for the dust to settle to finally start talking. She wiped beads of sweat from her forehead and sighed. "Nephthys of the Sacred Flame gains abilities depending on the number of ritual monsters I used to Link Summon her. Since I used one, the Sacred Flame will not be destroyed by battle."

**Alice 1300 LP**

**Cynthia 2600 LP**

**Turn 16**

"Your Horus the Black Flame Dragon is a powerful monster and a worthy opponent, Cynthia. You know how to use him well."

"Likewise with your Sacred Phoenix, Alice. I take it you've got something in store for me?"

"I do. Spell cards aren't the only way to increase a monster's attack points."

Cynthia smiled. "Yeah, Enora was right about you. I'd welcome you to the Red Arrows, but I think you've got to finish me off first."

Alice laughed. "Thank you. Well, here goes. I reveal my face-down card. The trap card, Awakening of Nephthys. Now, every Nephthys card on my field will gain 300 attack points."

**Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (ATK/3000 → 3300)**

**Nephthys, the Sacred Flame (ATK/2400 → 2700)**

"Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack Horus the Black Flame Dragon!"

The monster screeched in reply and fired a stream of cerulean-blue flames at Horus, striking him in the chest and shattering him to pieces. Then the Sacred Flame attacked Cynthia directly ending the duel.

"YES!" Alexis cheered. "Way to go, Alice!"

The holograms disappeared. The Red Arrows cheered, whooped, and clapped their hands. Cynthia approached Alice and hugged her. "Congratulations. You beat me." She looked at the judges below. "What's the verdict?"

"Yes!" yelled Denise. "She's on fire! Just like her phoenix monsters."

"You dazzled me!" said Aqua. "You know how to get yourself out of tight spots, you were confident, you were strong, and you always kept that pretty smile on your face no matter what. I I mean it! You are stunning, sweetheart! Your deck needs a little work. You know, add more support in case your ritual summon capabilities get neutered by monsters like Horus. There's always room for improvement on the team, not that you need much because you dueled beautifully. It's a yes for me."

Lilly stood up and gave two thumbs up. "Yes! Yes! And Yes! We need duelists like you on the team. Congratulations Alice, welcome to the Red Arrows!"

Alexis ran up to the arena and hugged Alice too. "Come on, come on," she said, leading her down the steps so they could make room for the next participant. They stepped into the hall, Enora followed. "You did it! I just knew you would!" Alexis said happily. She looked at Enora. "Well, I guess they weren't kidding about that intuition of yours, huh?"

"I have a knack for finding talent," Enora said, ruffling Alice's wild red hair. "Here." She handed her a parcel wrapped in white linen. "It's your uniform. Wear it proudly. You're one of us now, Alice."

"Thank you! Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"Oh, think nothing of it," Enora said with a smile. "After all, I haven't been looking for a recruit. I've been looking for a potential replacement as head of the team."

"You mean me?"

"There's still a long way before I make that decision, of course, but something tells me you're the one, Alice."

"You mean, you're leaving after this year, Enora? Oh, I'm so sad. I was hoping to be with you longer."

"Hey, we've still got plenty of time to be together. And that's plenty of time for you to learn and prove me right once again. Think you can do that?"

"I'll do my absolute best. I won't let you down."

"That's a big responsibility, Enora," Alexis said. "I mean you only just met her. How can you claim she's a potential captain just like that."

Enora tapped her nose. "Trust me. I know. Never doubt my gut instinct."

"If you say so," said Alexis. She sniffed the air. "Alice…"

Alice paused. She sniffed her blazer, then the collar of her blouse. "Oof, yeah. I sweat up a storm. I ran all the way here. And that duel made me so nervous."

"Come on," Alexis said, grabbing Alice by the wrist and led her to the showers. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"Oh, wait for me," said Enora. "I need to freshen up as well."

Once they stripped out of their uniforms, they placed them in the washing machine and stepped into cylindrical-shaped shower stalls. At the press of a button, a neon blue holographic screen with hexagon-shaped tiles materialized to conceal the girls as they showered. The screens automatically fogged up to blur their bodies.

"Oh, that feels so good," Alice cooed as she was soaked in hot water. "Oooh, it's like all my cares are melting away."

"Ahh, someone's enjoying herself in there," Enora chimed, rubbing peach-scented lotion on her arms. "Congratulations once again. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Enora," Alice said, pouring her own lotion into her palms. "Hey, I never saw you duel before, Alexis. What kind of deck to you run?"

"Cyber Angels," Alexis replied, just standing under the water to calm her nerves, which were jumping with excitement. "You'll see them soon, trust me. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't duel. Say, are you still up for joining me and the girls at North Point tonight?"

"Oh yes, I'd love to. What about you, Enora?"

"I'd love to as well, but I've got work to do. I'm in the student council and they need me in regards to this Duel Gang problem we're going through."

"I don't believe it," Alexis said, furiously lathering shampoo in her hair. "Millions of dollars go to training and arming those Campus Security idiots, and they don't do anything about it. A handful of these guys are former Blackwater contractors who toured in Iraq. You'd think handling a bunch of punks looking to rob people of their cards would be a cakewalk for them."

"Their excuse is this," said Enora. "If it's a duelist problem, then let the duelists handle it. They're not going to care that a bunch of bullies took your cards."

"Reminds me of that game where the guard teases if someone stole your sweetroll," Alice giggled.

"That's right. Unless armed pirates start shooting up the school or something, those guys are just posers with guns."

"What do you plan to do about it?"

"Well first off, I decided to increase the amount of DP students earn when they duel. And reduce the price of the packs as well so everyone has an equal chance of getting what they need. The packs and the cards individually are super expensive. And the jerks from our dorm love shoving that in the face of the lower-ranked and less privileged students. If we can give students more access to rare cards so they can improve, maybe the Duel Gangs will disband."

"It's worth a try," said Alexis.

"I'm also in talks with the class president about setting up more events with great rewards for participating. Easy DP and rare cards as prizes, you know."

"I'm all for that," said Alexis.

"By the way, Alice," Enora said with a smirk. "I heard you had a close encounter with Bishop today."

"Oh, here we go."

"No, no, no, don't go getting bashful on me. Alexis told me you were quick to start talking to him. Tell me, what do you think of him."

"He's not my type."

Alexis whooped. "Unless you're a gray-haired asshole who plays Destiny HEROES, I don't think our Alice wants anything to do with guys, Enora."

Enora laughed. "Oh, I see. What about that Evan fellow who's always following you around?"

"I'd rather not speak of him," Alice said at once. "He saw a little too much of me and didn't have the decency to look away. Disgusting pervert. I hope he gets what's coming to him soon."

**Evan**

The two boys tossed Evan unceremoniously at the ground in front of the chair that Boris was sitting on. Two girls, one from Ra Yellow and another from Slifer Red were sitting on his lap, laughing at Evan's misfortune.

"Zane Truesdale, eh?" Boris said, tossing a gumdrop into his mouth. "And you lost. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for the gang, Evan? We promised you friendship, good cards, all the things you want, and you repay our kindness by challenging Zane Truesdale - which alone is a very stupid thing to do- and lose! We are not pleased, Evan. So far, you've been nothing but a pain in the ass. You always half-ass the work we assign you, you give us mediocre results. And now this. Do you realize — do you realize — that if the students see people like Zane taking us down, there goes our grip! Many might grow to rebel against us, and if they do, there goes our way of life! The way we want to do things! Our rules! Do you want to earn cards the sissy way, or the Crusader's way, Evan!"

"I…"

"Shut up! I don't care either way. You're done. Unless you're up for the challenge."

"What do I have to do?" Evan asked.

"You must duel, of course. In this case, my little brother, Zack."

Zack stepped forward, sniggering, hands in his pockets. He kicked dirt in Evan's face and cackled.

"If you beat Zack, you're still in the gang, and maybe I'll try to find a better use for you. If you lose, we beat the shit out of you and take all the cards you have! All of them!"

No! Evan thought. They're going to take the Sky Pegasus Priscilla gave me!

"So what is it going to be, Evan?"

"I...I accept! I'll do it!"

"Good. Get yourselves ready, boys and girls." He slapped the Ra girl in the butt, making her coo. "It's time to Duel! And remember Evan..."

Evan looked at Boris and gulped.

"This is your last chance…"

Zack stepped to his side of the field calmly and waited for Evan to make his way to his. He could barely move, therefore he was pushed to his side of the field.

"All your rarest cards are gonna be mine," said the elementary-level student. "I'm gonna crush you, Evan. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Ha! I just knew you weren't fit to join us!"

Evan struggled to stand, but he couldn't. Zack was small but Boris was his older brother. Just what kind of shady tricks did he teach him? He would soon find out.

"Here, I'll go easy on ya," Zack teased. "Why not make our Life Points 8000."

Boris laughed. "Easy on him? Little brother, you just want to torture him as long as possible."

"Whatever!" said Evan. "I'll take you on! You'll see!... I hope."

"Then let's duel, Evan!" Zack shouted.

**LP 8000**

**Turn 1**

"I'll start first," Nick declared. "I set a card face-down and summon a Flamvell Grunika in attack mode!"

His shiny black duel disk hollered as the projections rendered a tall and well-built humanoid dragon, colored purple with a flaming mane on the back of his head, and he wore brown combat trousers.

**ATK/1700 DEF/200**

"Your turn, Evan. Although, I'm not expecting much. Heh, heh, heh."

**Turn 2**

"It's my turn," said Evan. "I summon Shiny Black "C" Squadder!" He summoned a superhero dressed in black with the motif of an insect.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"So much for your dragon, Zack! My monster's stronger! Attack him now!"

The black-armored hero lunged forward with a great leap and held up his fist. All of a sudden, Flamvell Gurnika's wings grew longer and were glowing bright blue.

"What's this?" Evan gasped.

Flamvell Gurnika grabbed Shiny Black 'C' Squadder by the hands and they were locked into a battle of strength.

"Come on, Shiny Black C!" shouted Evan. "You can do it! Come on!"

Suddenly, the armor on his arms started to crack.

"No fair!" Evan cried.

Zack laughed. "You dunce. When you attacked my monster, I activated my trap card, Tyrant Wings! This will boost the attack of a dragon monster by 400 points, making my Flamvell Gurnika much stronger than you pathetic monster. Smash him!"

Flamvell Gurnika blew fire at Shiny Black C's head, melting to nothing. He tossed the body away and threw a fireball at Evan, dealing 100 damage. But then, he summoned another fireball at Evan, knocking him on his back and burning another 800 points.

"What happened?"

"When my Gurnika destroys a monster, he'll inflict damage to you equal to the level of your destroyed monster times 200! Nice try, loser."

Boris and the others laughed. He held the two girls close and said: "Way to go, little bro! That's what I'm talking about!"

**Evan 7100 LP**

**Zack 8000 LP**

**Turn 3**

"All right, now it's my turn. And I'm gonna inflict more pain on ya, Evan! I sacrifice Flamvell Gurnika to summon Luster Dragon Number 2!"

Gurnika vanished and in his place was a colossal-sized dragon with a body made of emerald. He spread his wings, spanning almost 100 ft and then he reared his head in the air and roared.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1400**

"Uh oh, you have no cards to defend your Life Points, Evan! You're wide open for a direct attack. Go, Luster Dragon, burn his Life Points!"

The dragon took a deep breath and released a stream of lime-green fire at Evan. He screamed and scattered around in fear as if the flames were real. The solid vision technology was just too extreme. He could feel the heat from the flames.

"Aww, are you gonna cry, Evan? Ha, you don't have what it takes to be in this school! You're a loser! I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"No, I'm not!" shouted Evan. "I'll prove it! I just know I can! You just watch me!"

**Evan 4700 LP**

**Zack 8000 LP**

**Turn 4**

"Come on deck, I really need you to come through for me! I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards." He picked them up from the top of his deck and gasped.

Whoa! It's those Pendulum Monsters that Priscilla gave me! Dragoons of Draconia and Dragonox the Empowered Warrior. Oh, I forgot! Here's my Flash Knight, too. I think I can use these to really turn things around against Zack and his dragons. Somehow. If I can just use them properly. Oh, but I don't know how to use them. But I can't just stay here and let him take me down. All right, here goes nothing!

"I'm going to set the scales!" Evan announced.

"Set the scales?" said Boris. "What! You can't be serious!"

"I set Dragoons of Draconia (2) and Dragonox the Empowered Warrior (7)!"

"Uh oh, Boris! He was able to set the Pendulum Scales!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he knows how to Pendulum Summon!" said Boris. "Don't lose your focus!"

"Okay," said Evan, holding up a card. "Next, I play the field spell, Sogen! Now my monsters will gain an extra 200 attack and defense points! And now I use the scales to Pendulum Summon two monsters! Behold the mighty Flash Knight and the mighty Flamvell Guard!"

"No!" Boris said, almost pushing the girls off his lap. "He can Pendulum Summon! How can this twerp Pendulum Summon?"

"And I'm not through yet!" Evan declared, pumping his fist confidently. "Flamvell Guard is a Tuner monster! And I'll tune him with my Flash Knight to become the mighty warrior of a thousand battles! Synchro Summon! Scarred Warrior!"

He summoned a tall, muscular, tan-skinned warrior wearing white robes and he had white mechanical limbs. He was terribly bandaged up, clearly, a warrior who had seen many battles. But not today. As soon as he stepped onto the field, he fell into a hole.

"What happened!?" Evan cried. He was so devastated he could cry.

"You activated my trap card. Bottomless Trap Hole!" Zack tried his hardest to explain, but the look on Evan's face was just too much for him. "Once a monster with 1500 or more attack points is summoned, my trap will plunge them into a hole of despair for the rest of the game. So much for your new skills, Evan. I'm always one step ahead, just like my big brother!"

"Oh, man!" Evan said. He fell to his knees. He wanted to cry. No matter what he did, someone always was two steps ahead and ruined his plans.

"Hey, Evan, come on, man, get up!" said a familiar voice.

Evan looked up. He searched around but couldn't find who it was.

"Up here!"

Evan looked up at a bridge that crossed over one of the rivers. It was Jaden. He was standing there with Syrus and Chumley.

"Come on, Evan, this is no time to back out now. You've got two sweet monsters out on the field. Read them carefully, and they'll come through for ya! Come on, get back up on your feet, and get your game on!"

"Hey, why don't you shut up and but out!" shouted Zack.

"How's about I come down there and shut you up with a fat lip! Chumley growled as he held up his massive fist.

Zack whimpered and backed away. "Whatever. It's not like he can do much now. I wiped out his best cards, while mine are just getting warmed up!"

**Turn 5**

"Get ready for the pummeling of your life, Evan! I use Monster Reborn to bring back Flamvell Gurnika! Now, I sacrifice him and Luster Dragon Number Two to summon the mighty Dragonic Knight!"

"Uh oh, that's not good," said Syrus as the giant, white-armored dragon flew down from the sky and crashed onto the field. "That's the monster Chazz used to beat you down, Jaden."

"Yeah, I know. It took my best cards to get rid of that thing, but even that wasn't enough. But the thing is, Chazz is good. This kid seems to be all talk. I know Evan can beat him."

"I hope you're right," said Chumley. "Because the dragon's heading straight for Evan's Life Points!"

"Attack!" Zack shouted. "You're history, Evan!"

"I think not! I use the effect of my Dragonox the Empowered Warrior. I can destroy him and end your battle phase!"

Dragonox disappeared but not before he created a wall that stopped the attack.

"You just got lucky!" Zack pouted. "But it makes little difference. I've got the most dominant monster on the field. You got nothing. Now make your move!"

**Turn 6**

"I draw!" said Evan. "Lucky, huh? I'll show you I've got the skills to take you down. First, I summon X-Saber Anu Piranha!"

He summoned a lovely blonde warrior in tight black and red armor.

"Oooo, she's pretty," swooned Syrus.

**ATK/1800 DEF/1100**

"Is that wench the best you got to take on my dragon?" sneered Zack.

"She's no wench, and yes, she's just what I need. I equip her with the power of Bashing Shield! This card works on monsters that have been normal summoned. If they are, my equip-spell will boost their power by 1000! And don't forget that my field spell increases Anu's attack by another 200, raising her attack to a total of 3000!"

"Aw, crap!" shrieked Zack.

Anu Piranha raised her sword and sliced the dragon a hundred times in half a second. The dragon leaned to the left and fell to the ground with a smash.

"My dragon!" Evan shouted. "You just destroyed my dragon!"

"Yeah! Way to go, Evan!" Jaden cheered.

"Wow, I did it!" Evan said. "I can't believe I did it! Oh yeah, since a normal monster successfully destroyed one of your monsters, my Dragoon allows me to add a normal monster to my hand."

**Evan 4700 LP**

**Zack 7800 LP**

**Turn 7**

"You're starting to bug me, Evan!" Zack said coldly. "I was playing around before, but now it's time to get serious. I draw! Shit! Fucking deck! I never get what I want. I set a monster and end my turn!"

**Turn 8**

"So much for all that talk, huh, Zack!" Evan taunted. "Now I've got you on the ropes. I set a card and summon the mighty Flash Knight!"

Evan summoned a bright, shiny knight in radiant gold and white armor and a flowing, glittering, gold cape. He shined brightly like a star and swung his sword around.

**ATK/1800 (Sogen → 2000) DEF/600 (→800)**

"Flash Knight! Attack his face-down monster!"

The knight charged forward and sliced the monster in half. A Luster Dragon. Though a pendulum monster, Flash Knight was still normal, so Dragoon allowed Evan to add a normal monster to his hand. Then Anu Piranha attacked him directly for 3000.

Zack yelped as the slash from Anu's sword knocked him backward.

**Zack 4800 LP**

**Evan 4700 LP**

"The score is almost tied!" Syrus said, bursting with excitement. "Way to play, Evan! You can do it!"

**Turn 9**

Zack drew and laughed. "I think not! I activate Lightning Vortex! Now, I discard a card from my hand and destroy all your monsters!"

"Oh no!" Evan cried as a twister of bright lightning swirled down from the heavens and struck down all his cards. "My monsters!"

"Back to square one!" Zack laughed. "I end my turn."

**Turn 10**

"I draw!" Evan looked at his card and smiled. "Ah, my beautiful Lady Kanan the Swordmistress. My beautiful valkyrie. You'll lead me to victory, won't you? All right, I summon Kanan the Swordmistress!"

"Oooo, another pretty monster!" Syrus said, going red.

"Can someone get a bucket for this guy?" said Chumley.

Kanan lunged forward and slashed Zack across the chest and knocking him on his back.

**Zack 3200 LP**

**Evan 4700 LP**

**Turn 11**

Zack drew without a word. He looked at the card and smiled. "Your luck has just run out! I banish two normal monsters from my graveyard to summon World Legacy Guardragon Mardark!"

The sky turned gray and the wind blew fiercely around them. Suddenly, a massive black, feathered dragon flew down from the thick black clouds and landed behind Zack.

**ATK/2600 DEF/3000**

"Look at the size of that thing!" gasped Syrus.

"Totally not licious!" Chumley said, holding on to the railings.

Jaden clapped his hands once. "Come on, Evan, hang on, man!"

"Oh, there's no hanging on here, HERO," boasted Boris. "My brother's dragon will reduce the attack of all Evan's monsters by 500 for each dragon he controls. Your Kanan's attack is reduced to a mere 1100 points. Show them who's boss, little bro!"

"You got it, Boris! Mardark, attack his monster!"

Mardark heaved and released a powerful geyser of green flames at Kanan.

"I activate my face-down card, Wall of Disruption!" Evan said. "This will reduce your dragon's attack by 800!"

"But it still won't save your bitch!" cackled Zack.

BOOM! Kanan screamed and was reduced to ashes.

**Evan 4000 LP**

**Zack 3200 LP**

**Turn 12**

"Draw!" Evan sighed. It wasn't something he needed but, hopefully, it could stall long enough to gain some kind of a comeback.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn!"

**Turn 13**

"Your luck's run out," laughed Zack. "I summon Master Pendulum the Dracoslayer!"

Whiirrr went his duel disk as it projected a dragon warrior in beautiful white and gold armor. His scales shimmered in gold and he was as tall as a house.

**ATK/1950 DEF/0**

"Time to deal some major damage, Evan! Go, Master Pendulum, attack!"

"I activate the spell, Shrink!" Evan called, activating his spell. This will cut your monster's attack in half.

Master Pendulum still moved forward and bashed Evan with his shield, knocking backward and falling on the ground. Then, Mardark fired his green flames at him, reducing his Life Points to 1225.

"Your Life Points don't look to good, tough guy!" laughed one of the Crusaders. "Why don't you quit now while you've got the chance?"

"Don't quit, Evan!" cheered Jaden. "You've got this!"

**Turn 14**

"Yeah, yeah, I've got this. Draw! All right! Here comes Gene-Warped Warwolf! Yeah, your dragon may reduce his attack, but wait till I give my monster this. United We Stand! This will increase his attack by 800, now his points are back to normal!"

"No!" Zack cried. "Aw, man! There has to be something I can do!"

"Attack!" Evan commanded the white, genetically-enhanced wolf. It howled and used its claws to slash Mardark across the neck, decapitating him. With Mardark's effect gone, Gene-Warped Warwolf's attack increased to 3000. Again, Dragoon allowed him to add a normal monster to his hand.

**Evan 1225 LP**

**Zack 3000 LP**

**Turn 15**

"Ha! This will do. I sacrifice Master Pendulum for the power of the Millennium Shield and since it's a warrior monster, it gains another 200 DEF points so now it stands at 3200! Try and get past that!"

"Idiot!" shouted Boris. "What are you doing filling your deck with random cards again?"

"I got this, big brother! He can't get past my defense! I'll buy enough time to make a comeback!

**Turn 16**

"This is it, Zack. I use the spell, Pot of Extravagance. Now I discard six cards from my extra deck and draw two cards. True, your Millennium Shield is strong. But hiding behind walls and shields isn't going to win you this duel, Zack. Watch this! I summon another Flash Knight! Now, I play Monster Reborn to bring back Kanan the Swordmistress! Next, I Overlay Kanan and Flash Knight to Xyz Summon, Number 44: Sky Pegasus!"

"What!" Boris shouted. "A Number Card! Where the hell did he get one of those?"

Jaden smiled and nodded when the beautiful, mechanical winged stallion took the field. It reared up on its hind legs and whinnied.

**ATK/1800 DEF/1600**

"Now, I will remove an Xyz Material from my Sky Pegasus. It will destroy a card on your field unless you agree to pay 1000 of your Life Points."

"I'll do it," said Zack. "You guys can't get past my shield."

**Zack 2000 LP**

"There won't be a next turn for you, Zack. I use the spell, Lightning Storm! Now, I can destroy your Millennium Shield."

"Big brother!" cried poor Zack as bolts of lightning struck down and blasted his shield to pieces.

"Way to play!" cheered Syrus. "You took down his defense! Come on, Evan! Take down those bullies!"

"Bullies," Evan thought. "Zane was right. I was going about this all wrong. Stealing stuff. Cheating. Harassing my fellow students. This is not the way to be a real duelist. I don't need you guys anymore!" He stomped his foot on the ground. "You hear me! I'm through with being in your gang!"

"Who cares," said Boris. "You were too weak to be in the gang in the first place. Once my brother takes you down, we're beating the shit out of you and taking all your cards. Including your Sky Pegasus. That card will make a perfect addition to my collection."

"Not today he's not!" said Evan.

He attacked directly and ended the game. Zack whimpered and fell on his back, then rolled to a stop.

As the dust settled, nobody said a word. Evan won. Realizing what he just did, he smiled.

Thanks, Priscilla.

Before the Crusaders could move, Evan gathered his things quickly and went up the bridge to join Jaden and be under the protection of Chumley, who's sheer size discouraged anyone from Boris's gang from attacking them.

"Let them go," said Boris. "I assure you, things are just beginning between us. Evan and Jaden are going to regret the day they messed with us. Send the word out to every Duel Gang on the island. I want those two taken down! And I want his Sky Pegasus, too. I must have that card."

"You got it, Boris. We'll make sure every pair of eyes on the island is on the lookout for them."

"Good. Enough playing around, boys. It's time we got serious."


	9. A Duel in Love

** Dr. Crowler **

Once the sun went down and the stars had begun to twinkle in the infinite black of heaven's field, Dr. Crowler lurked around the island in a tight, black, suit, zooming from bush to bush as fast as a black blur. He made sure to dodge all the street lamps lighting the way. Whenever Campus Security came by, he rolled around in thick puddles of mud and hid under a bush to avoid being seen by their hi-tech NVG 18 quad night vision goggles. They even had K-9 units patrolling the jungles, their German Shepherds sniffing around for dens in case students were hiding there and smoking Blue Dragon or searching for potential hiding spots for Duel Gangs. Crowler dashed for a nearby ferry that was on its way to deliver food and other comforts to the girls on their island at the center of the lake. Once onboard the boat, he sniggered and hid inside a crate. In just a few more moments, he was going to expose Jaden Yuki as a peeping tom. They would surely expel him for this. And never again would he have to deal with Jaden's defiance again. The boat's engine rumbled and the water behind the boat bubbled. He was on his way to getting his revenge.

** Jaden **

"Pass me another marshmallow, Evan!" Jaden said. He, Chumley, Evan, and Syrus were sitting around a campfire outside of their dorm, deep in the woods in a nice spot by a cliff that overlooked the dark seas below. The waves gently crashed against the rocks and the wind calmly whistled in the leaves of the trees above them.

Evan laughed and reached into a bag, tossing one to Jaden who caught it with ease. He stuck the marshmallow into a stick and held it over a fire until it turned golden brown. Syrus in the meantime was making a mess with the smores he was trying to make. The chocolate oozed out of the graham crackers and stuck to his fingers. Chumley handed him a bottle of cold water and poured it on his hands to wash the gunk off.

"Thanks," Syrus said, rubbing his wet hands on his jeans. Now that class was over and the weekend had begun, the students were free to dress as they pleased.

Jaden blew on his marshmallow and ate it. Then he said to Evan in a rather sticky voice: "Nice duel earlier, Evan. That was nothing short of amazing. So where did you get that cool Number Card?"

"A girl gave it to me."

"A girl?" Chumley said, his grilled cheese sandwich just inches from his mouth. "So some chick gave the card? What for? Did she like you or something?"

"I don't know. Before I could even thank her, she just vanished into thin air. She said her name was Priscilla. Does that ring the bell to any of you guys?"

"I haven't seen any Priscilla around here," Syrus said, holding another marshmallow over the fire.

"Don't look at me," Chumley said, finally biting into his sandwich. "There's got be like tons and tons of girls around here. All I can say is, ya should have kept your eyes on her and not the cards."

Evan smacked his forehead. "Aw, yeah. I forgot. So, are any of you guys going to head to North Point?"

"Not my scene," Syrus replied sadly. "There's lots of parties and stuff going on out there. I mean, I'll head over there to try out the beach and maybe dine at those cool restaurants, but Friday nights, you can count me out."

"Come on, Sy," Jaden said with a laugh. "Don't tell me you've never got your game on out on the dance floor before."

"Well, I lost a Duel to Zane when we were kids and he made me do the German Dance in front of passing strangers."

"I don't even want to know," Evan said. "Well, I kind of like it here, too. Night clubs and stuff like that were never my kinds of places to be either."

"It sure as hell shows," Chumley said. He started adding butter to the frying pan to make another grilled cheese sandwich.

"What do you mean by that?" Evan asked.

"I mean you've got such a pale look to ya. Not to mention you've got Happy Birthday Snookums written on your deck case, so that means you've lived a sheltered life."

"You mean it really shows?" Evan said, slouching in his camping stool.

Chumley opened a can of soda. "Yup, it really, really shows. I mean, what good is boasting that you've got a really cool Number Card if you're acting like a mama's boy."

Evan scoffed. "Aww, come on Chumley, Sky Pegasus isn't that rare of a card. I saw some guys using it earlier today."

"Still that's your Sky Pegasus. It's unique because it belongs to you. Now take good care of it. Jaden says cards can form a loving bond with their masters if you trust them right."

"That's right," Jaden agreed.

"A loving bond…" Syrus whispered. He looked at his PDA to check the time. "Uh, guys. Can you excuse me for a moment? I've to check something out."

"Sure, just be careful if you head southward. The girls are playing catch with Huon, and if he sees you in their turf, he's going to show no mercy."

"I'll be fine, I promise," Syrus said, disappearing into the woods.

"What's with him?" Chumley asked. "Syrus usually wants someone accompanying him to the outhouse cuz he's afraid of the dark."

"He's maturing, little by little," Jaden said. "How's about another marshmallow?"

** Alice **

"Well, come on, Alice," Mindy called from the bedroom of Enora's luxury suite on the second floor of the chateau. "Don't keep us waiting. Let's see your new dress."

"Okay. Here goes," Alice said. She came out of the closet wearing a short, red, glittery party dress that revealed her shoulders and chest. She gave a twirl and her friends clapped and hooted with glee. Her black high-heels clopped loudly on the ground.

"Looking hot!" said Jasmine, who was zipping up Mindy's gown. "I say she's all set to go."

"Yeah, well I'm not," Alyssa said, still preening herself in the mirror. A pink towel was wrapped around her chest as she applied makeup to her face.

"Didn't you say you'd be ready five minutes ago?" teased Alexis, already wearing a white, lacy, cocktail gown and her purse was slung over her shoulder. "Come on, Alyssa, the train's leaving soon."

"I'll be right there, give me a second." She gasped. "Hey, did any of you guys see that just now?"

"What's going on?" Enora asked. She was at her desk getting her things ready for the student council meeting.

"I saw someone peeking into the window just now."

"You serious?" Alexis darted over the bed and looked outside. There was nothing. The lanterns on the wall outside of each door were shining brightly, as were the round ceiling lamps going down the hall. Over the railing, she could see the moonlight shimmering on the lake below. The water was so clear she could see the lights of the underwater suites glowing from beneath the surface. If there was someone out there, she would have seen them by now.

"You don't think it's a boy?" Alice asked, hiding in the closet.

"Are you kidding?" Enora said, getting up to look out the window too. "The Obelisk Blue girls' dorm is one of the most secure places on the island, second to the card shop and the bank. If there's a peeper out there, he's a dead man walking. Campus Security has drones with thermal imaging, snipers in the mountains who are former Navy SEALS, K-9 units, operators in ghillie suits, you name it."

"What's keeping them from staring at us?" Mindy asked.

"They form a mile-wide perimeter outside our estate and the drones are so high up, they're in space. Think of the operators as a moat around our castle. Under orders of the Commander, my father, they're not allowed within the perimeter. Believe me, he knows who's snooping around."

"Well, that's good to know," said Alyssa. She finished putting on her dress. "Well, now all that's left is for Madison, Kami, Kylie, and Wisteria to come out of the showers." She looked at the clock on Enora's desk and couldn't help by eye her Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier shining brightly on the top of her deck. "Hmm, it's seven-thirty. If those girls don't get out of the shower by eight o'clock, we're leaving them behind."

"Yeah, I agree," said Alexis. "But then again, it's the grotto. I doubt anyone wants to leave that place."

** Meanwhile... **

Like a puff of smoke, Crowler slipped around through the trees and stopped right in front of the gates to the bathing springs, a grotto inside of a cave with a tall gazebo of limestone right in the center. He could hear the girls laughing and splashing from within. He set the GPS to this location, hoping to lure Jaden to this spot, making him think Alexis was waiting for him. He heard footsteps and crouched down in an awkward position, but for one so tall, he was very athletic and flexible, so it didn't bother him. He was as still as a rock. Along with the footsteps, he heard giggling. Five young ladies wrapped in towels were getting ready to wade in the pool, one was just in her underwear, making Crowler go bright red.

"Let's not spend too much time in there, girls," she said. "I want to catch the next train to North Point. I'm in the mood for some dancing."

"Oh, you'll get plenty of it," said her friend. "We're gonna rule the night."

Crowler shut his eyes so as not to look at the girl and waited for her and her friends to disappear behind the gate. When it closed he breathed a sigh of relief and his device started to rumble. The student was here. His plan was finally coming to fruition. He was finally going to expel Jaden once and for all. He got his camera ready and held it up.

"I've got you, at last, Slacker!"

The bushes across from his rustled. This was it. He was here. "I'm coming, Alexis!" Syrus Truesdale said coming out of the vegetation and into the light.

Crowler was shocked. So much so that he jumped out of his hiding place and screamed at the top of his lungs. "WHAT! YOU'RE NOT JADEN!"

He screamed so loud that all the girls in the garden plaza outside the chateau heard him and came running to investigate.

"A BOY!"

"IT'S A BOY!"

"SECURITY! SECURITY!"

"What!" shouted Crowler. "I'm not a boy! I'm a man!" He slapped his hands over his face and scampered away. "You don't know me," he said before slipping off the edge of the lake and falling in with a loud splash. He was gone, but, Syrus wasn't so lucky. He curled up into a ball as the girls pounced on top of him like wolves to a wounded deer. They grabbed his limbs and held him to the ground as a girl with ropes came by and tied his wrists and legs.

Just then, he heard the sound if expensive club slippers stomping toward him. He looked up and saw Alexis, Jasmine, Mindy, and Alice looking down at him with displeasure in their eyes.

"Hey, he's the boy who hangs out with Jaden Yuki," Alice said.

"That' he is," said Alexis. "What the hell are you doing on our island, Syrus? How did you get here?"

"I took one of the rowboats," he replied with a squeak.

"So much for that perimeter," Enora coming down to see all the bruhaha taking place down there. "A rowboat, eh? How did they not see you?"

"Who?" Syrus asked.

Enora frowned. "Campus Security. At night they have our dorms locked down tighter than a virgin in Vegas. You're very sneaky little guy, my compliments. But don't go thinking that means you're off the hook. The punishment for a boy sneaking into the girls' living quarters of any dorm is severe. They're going to kick you out of the island in the morning, bub. I hope a few panties and some ass crack was worth getting expelled from school."

"No, no, no! You've got it all wrong!" Syrus declared, trying to prove his innocence. "Look, Alexis invited me here."

"I would do no such thing!" Alexis said at once. "He's a liar. Take him to Officer Tomsko."

"No, no, it's true! I have the note right here." He tried to reach for it, but his hands were tied.

Alice had to get the note for him. "It's a love note all right," she said. "Wow, check this out. There's a map that details a secret passage in the lake that leads to a hidden cave on our island. No wonder Syrus made it through here undetected. Alexis? Did you write this?"

Alexis swiped the letter from her hands and read it herself. Her eyes got narrower and narrower and her brow sank deeper and deeper until she formed a furious scowl. "Syrus, first of all, I have no idea about this secret route to our dorm. And secondly, my name isn't even spelled right."

"Uh oh…"

"And check out the address on the back of the note," Jasmine pointed out. "It's addressed to Jaden Yuki."

Syrus felt his chest fall to pieces. He lost his breath and he felt his eyes bubbling with tears. "So you don't love me, Alexis?"

She shook her head. "No. Not only did I not write this, but it also wasn't meant for you."

"Aww, I can't even get a fake love letter."

Alexis smiled. "Aww, I'm sorry, Syrus."

"Aw, I just knew he wouldn't be that kind of person," said Alice. "It was all a big misunderstanding, wasn't it, Syrus?"

Syrus looked at her and nodded. "Uh, yeah. Thanks for understanding, guys."

"So what do you reckon we should do with him?" Enora asked.

"Let's escort him back to shore," said Alexis. "Clearly someone was trying to troll Jaden and Syrus got caught in the middle."

"I don't buy it," said Jasmine. "What if he made this as an excuse to come here?"

Alexis rubbed her chin.

"You know, she has a point," said Enora. "What if this a sob story just to make us go easy on him."

"But I'm telling the truth!"

"Vat is going on down zere!" shouted Helga, the Dorm Supervisor.

"Down! Down!" Alexis said. "Alice, Jasmine, Mindy, help me!"

They bent Syrus over and sat down on top of him. Then they smiled like little angels as the hallway shook with giant footsteps. A very tall, stout, and muscular woman looked down at them from the railing on the second floor of the chateau. She wore a long, black, maid outfit with a frilly white apron. She looked like Huskee of the Dragonmaids if she had scarfed down a whole table of cakes. Her nose was pink and round and she had beady brown eyes. A mole could be seen right by her left nostril.

"Vell, vat are you three doing making so much noise this late at night?" She wrinkled her nose at the sight of their party dresses. "Hmm, going to North Point to party, I see. Vell, don't come back late. And I better not catch you bringing boys to this island. If I do, I vill take you to my office and punish you, am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Alexis. "Sorry, sorry. We were just getting a little excited. That's all."

"Yeah, sorry," said Alice. "Damn, she's huge!" she whispered to Alexis.

"And you girls are very heavy!" whined Syrus.

"I beg your pardon!" snapped Jasmine.

Helga smiled. "Vell, have fun and be safe. Remember, don't come back late. It's ze weekend but you're still in school. Good night, my darlings." She walked away.

They stood up and Syrus collapsed to the ground, breathing for air.

"So what do we do now?" Alice asked.

"I know what we can do now," Alexis said, mischievously tapping her foot on the ground. "We could use this opportunity to use Syrus as bait."

"Bait for what?" Enora asked. "Uh oh, Alexis, you've got that crazy look in your eye."

Alexis crossed her arms and smiled with cunning. "Bait to lure Jaden Yuki down here and find out if his duel against Crowler was just luck."

"You want to duel Jaden Yuki?" Alice asked.

"Damn right, I do." She checked her watch. "Yeah, we've got time before we head out. I'm going to make this duel quick."

** Jaden **

The hour was getting late and the marshmallow bag was now empty.

"Still no sigh of Syrus," Evan said, stoking the fire. Red and yellow embers took to the air. I wonder where he went to in such a hurry."

"Must have gone to the bathroom," said Chumley. He was falling asleep on his lounge chair "I told him eating all that chocolate would upset his stomach."

"I guess," Jaden said. His PDA started ringing. "What's this?"

"Got a message there, Jaden?" Evan asked.

Jaden didn't answer. He just kept on reading the message. Then he closed it and sighed. "I'll be right back guys. Sy's in trouble."

Jaden left Evan and Chumley behind then went to the docks to take a boat. He followed the map on his PDA and rowed to a tunnel near the rocks that was well hidden behind vines and the roots of a nearby tree. As Jaden approached the cave, bats flew out, startling him. He ducked and kept his head down until they were all gone, then continued rowing into the cave. He followed all sorts of creepy twists and turns. It was pitch black in there. He heard water dripping from stalactites deep behind blocked off chambers of the cave.

Ooooo something hooted.

"Ah, it's you," Jaden said as a little creature appeared before him. It was a Winged Kuriboh. "Hey, pal, do you know the way out of here?"

Oooooo Kuriboh went and he turned and slowly glided into the cave. Jaden rowed after it and in no time at all, he found the exit, which led him right out into the docks of girls' dorm, perfectly hidden behind vines. Once he found the dock, he was met with the glow of tall, black, iron lamp posts. And right there on the concrete dock were Alexis, Alice, Jasmine, and Mindy, standing together, waiting for him in anticipation. Syrus was on the ground like a beaten dog with his wrists tied up.

"Nice dresses," Jaden said, rowing closer to the dock. "Going out to North Point, huh?"

"We were until we found your friend Syrus," Mindy said with a frown.

"Yeah, he was snooping around our dorm," Jasmine said, tapping Syrus's back with her foot.

Jaden felt disappointed in his friend. That was just low. "Is that true, Syrus?"

Syrus didn't say anything.

"I can't help you if you don't speak up," Jaden snapped. "What's going on? What were you doing here, Syrus? Not only is that against the rules, but it's also just sick!"

"No! You don't understand!" Syrus cried out. "I wasn't doing anything, honest!"

"Well, we're gonna have a serious talk when we get back to the dorm, Syrus. Sorry for all the trouble, girls. I promise this won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't," said Alexis. "See you're in our turf too, Jaden. You broke the rules."

"What? Now, wait a minute that's just not fair! You brought me out here! You can't expel me for that!"

"Hold on a minute," said Alexis. "We won't turn you in...yet. I challenge you to a duel, Jaden. If you win, we let you two leave. Lose, and we're both turning you in to Campus Security!"

"I guess I've got no choice in the matter," Jaden said with a sigh.

Alice untied Syrus and he scampered onto the boat. Alexis then walked to a ledge overlooking the lake and stood there as she waited for Mindy to hand her duel disk over. It was blue and white and embossed with silvery scrollwork. And when she activated it, a sword-shaped blade colored blue and outlined with white formed from it.

Jaden, never leaving his duel disk behind, strapped his on and stood up. "All right, Alexis, it's time to get your game on!"

**LP 4000**

"Good luck, Jaden," Alexis said. "You're going to need it."

They tossed a coin. Jaden was going to start first. Meanwhile, Professor Crowler was watching from the rocks nearby.

"Ah, they're going to have a duel," he whispered. "Alexis is one of the best students in my class. Heh! Jaden doesn't stand a chance. Teach him a lesson, Alexis!"

**Turn 1**

"All right, then, First, I discard Elemental HERO Captain Gold to add the field spell, Skyscraper to my hand. Next, I set a card face-down and summon everyone's favorite golden boy, Elemental HERO Sparkman!"

Sparkman flew out of a lightning vortex and punched the air, grunting and growling. The light from the lanterns flashed on his golden armor.

**ATK/1600 DEF/1400**

"That ends my turn."

**Turn 2**

"Oh, is that all, Jaden?" Alexis said. She drew and grinned. "I use Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two. Next, I summon Cyber Petit Angel! Now, I add a Cyber Angel to my hand. Next, I use the spell, Machine Angel Ritual! I sacrifice two Cyber Angel Idatens to ritual summon the all-powerful Cyber Angel Vrash!"

Jaden and Syrus yelled and shielded their eyes from the bright flash illuminating from Alexis's side of the field. When it died down, they both saw a giant angel in a pink and white leotard with translucent green wings on her hips. She wore a tall, ceremonial pink hat and had long, dark blue hair that brushed against her buttocks. Behind her was a golden halo, which she could use as a devastating weapon.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2000**

Jasmine jumped and high-fived Mindy. "Yeah! She summoned her best monster on her first turn!"

"You guys are in trouble now!" Mindy teased.

"Wow," Syrus croaked. "Three-thousand attack points."

Alexis giggled. "Oh, it's only going to get worse, Syrus. When Cyber Angel Idaten is used as a tribute, all ritual monsters gain 1000 extra attack points. And I have two, meaning Cyber Angel Vrash's attack increases to 5000!"

"Oh, man!" Jaden yelled, watching the ATK point display rising up. "She's so strong."

"You haven't seen anything yet, Jaden. Cyber Angel Vrash! Attack his Sparkman!"

Vrash's halo started glowing and then the green orbs illuminated. A loud, metallic humming sound erupted from the halo and then it fired green lasers at Sparkman.

"Awww, Jaden!" Syrus cried. "This is it!"

"Hold on, Alexis! I activate my trap card, Sakuretsu Armor! Not only does it stop Vrash's attack, but it will destroy her, too."

Sparkman crossed his arms over his chest and he was covered in radioactive armor. But the girls were not at all worried.

Mindy burst out laughing. "Uh oh, someone hasn't been doing his homework lately."

"She's right," Alexis replied with a cold smirk. "When a trap threatens to destroy Vrash, I can shuffle a ritual monster back to my deck, such as this card. Cyber Angel Natasha, which I discarded with Graceful Charity. Then, Vrash negates and destroys the trap. Sorry, Jaden!"

Vrash's attack ripped right through the Sakuretsu Armor and tore Sparkman to shreds, creating an explosion that sent a mushroom cloud rising up into the air.

Crowler struggled to stay afloat in the waves, but when finally got control of himself, he started laughing as Jaden's Life Points plunged to 600 Life Points with one powerful hit. Then, Alexis commanded her Cyber Petit Angel to attack. It fired a bright yellow beam, striking him in the chest. Jaden grunted and fell to his knees. Now his Life Points took a drop to 300.

"Uh oh, you're Life Points don't look so good," teased Mindy.

"Alexis, you're the best!" Jasmine said, playfully slapping Alexis in the butt.

"Jaden…" Alice whispered. "Is he really going to lose?"

**Turn 3**

"Well, are you impressed?" Alexis asked.

"Impressed? I think I'm in love."

"Aren't you sweet? Well, it's your turn, buddy. Get moving."

"Right. I draw! Okay, I activate Pot of Greed and draw two extra cards. You're good Alexis. Really good. They don't call you the Queen of Obelisk Blue for nothing. Let's see if I can't turn things around. First, I summon Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier!"

Jaden's duel disk hummed as it rendered a hero in midnight blue spandex and he wore a distinctive type of helmet colored light blue as were his gloves and boots.

**ATK/1400 DEF/1300**

"Aww, sweet," Jaden said, noticing his monster's attack points rising. "Since we're in the water, Liquid Soldier gets the field power bonus."

"For what good that will do," said Syrus. "He's only got 1900 attack points now, and Alexis's Cyber Angel has 5000. We're done for, Jay!"

"Not true, Syrus. First, I activate Liquid Soldier's effect! I can revive an Elemental HERO from my graveyard, so come on back Elemental HERO Sparkman! Next, I attack your Cyber Petit Angel with Sparkman!"

Sparkman flew and zapped the little creature until it exploded. Alexis grunted, shielding herself from the attack.

"Yeah! You got her good with that move, Jay!" Syrus cheered.

"Yup. Now, I lay a card face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 4**

**Jaden 300 LP**

**Alexis 2700**

"I really hope you're not planning to use that face-down on Vrash, Jaden? No matter what you do, it's over."

"Say goodbye to Duel Academy boys!" Mindy jeered as Jasmine stuck out her tongue and gave a V for victory.

Vrash charged up her green laser and launched it. The beam zoomed towards Liquid Soldier. Everyone held their breath. This was it. Until...

"I reveal my face-down card, Mirror Force!"

Alexis scoffed. "And I'll just shuffle one of my Idaten's back to my hand to negate and destroy it," said Alexis.

"Sorry, but I'm way ahead of you, Alexis."

"Huh?"

"From my hand, I activate the effect of Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit! When your Vrash activates her effect, Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit will negate the effect and destroy her."

"OH NO!" Alexis yelled.

Vrash screeched and exploded, leaving her field empty.

**Turn 5**

"Now it's my turn!" Jaden declared. "First, I use the effect of Miracle Fusion! With this card, I banish Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier on my field and Captain Gold in my graveyard to summon the one and only, Elemental HERO Sunrise!"

Alexis shielded her eyes as though the light of the rising sun had flashed in her face. She heard something swoop over her, creating a fierce wind, causing her to hold down the hem of her dress. She looked up and saw a hero in red and yellow armor and a blue cape. He was hovering in front of the moon. "YAH!" he shouted and he soared back to Jaden's side of the field and stood by him triumphantly.

**ATK/2500 DEF/1200**

"Awesome to have you here, man!" Jaden said, jumping so he could high-five the monster.

Thanks to the miracle of Solid Vision Technology, the hologram had a physical form, so Jaden could actually touch it.

"Now, Elemental HERO Sunrise gains 200 extra attack points for each different attribute I got, which increases his attack to 2700. That's just the amount of points I need to take you down. It's been fun, Alexis. Go, Elemental HERO Sunrise, attack her Life Points directly!"

Sunrise soared toward Alexis. He stood in front of her and raised his fist until it was enveloped in flames. "RRYAH!" he shouted, punching her in the stomach and knocking her flat on her back.

"Alexis!" cried Mindy.

"Uh...what just happened?" Jasmine said, feeling as though someone had stabbed her in the gut. She had never seen Alexis lose before. To make matters worse, it was against a Slifer.

Alice covered her smile with her hands. "Wow...he's amazing! Alexis gave everything she had and it still wasn't enough to beat Jaden."

Alexis rubbed her sore stomach and stood up. "Well, Jaden. You beat me. A deal's a deal. You're free to go."

Jaden chuckled. "Thanks. That was a really close game, Alexis. You almost got me there."

"Yeah, but next time I will come out on top, Jaden. Have a safe trip back to your dorm."

"And you have fun at North Point. Take pictures!"

"Ha-ha-ha," Alexis said sarcastically as she turned and walked away with her friends.

"That wasn't right," said Jasmine. "If you ask me, we should have turned them in."

"Well, nobody asked you," Alexis said, looking back at her.

"Alexis? Come on."

"Forget it. Come on, let's go get Alyssa and the others. North Point awaits."

Jaden, meanwhile, sat down on his boat and rowed Syrus into the cave to avoid being seen by Campus Security.

"Just what were you doing over there, buddy?" Jaden asked.

"I got invited over there," Syrus tried to explain. "But it turns out the letter I got was for you. Someone was trying to troll you, Jay."

"You think so? Who?"

As he and Syrus disappeared into the cave, Professor Crowler groaned, trying his best not to relive the moment when his most beloved student had lost.

"I'll get you, Jaden, just you wait!" he grumbled. "As soon as I get back to shore." He heard military com chatter coming from the woods. "Uh oh!" He took a deep breath and ducked under the water.

** Alice **

They made it to the station just in time. Once the sleek magnet train approached, they got inside with other students, who were well-dressed for a night of dancing at the clubs in North Point, which was a two-hour ride from the academy and for a while, all they saw around them was dark jungle and employee facilities. Then, they saw a warm glow haloing the jungle canopy. The city was close. When they arrived, Alice felt like she had stumbled into a dream. It was a very large city with towers and expensive hotels built right along the white sandy beaches of the island. She saw a giant ferris wheel in the distance and the city was glowing in all sorts of colors making it look like there was an iridescent filter in front of the whole thing. There were tourists down there as well as a few locals, which were the 1% of the world. The sons and daughters of billionaires, or youngsters who made money being influencers on popular social media platforms.

"This is amazing!" Alice said, her hands pressed to the window.

"Oh, this is going to be a night to remember!" cheered Alyssa.

The train stopped and they all got out. They went down a flight of spiral stairs that were lit with bright blue neon and then they stopped in front of a fountain with a statue of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon to take pictures. Alyssa, being the most playful, turned around lifted her dress as she stuck her tongue out, causing all her friends to laugh. They then headed into a nearby club that was exclusive to Obelisk Blue students. Being underage, they could only help themselves to water, apple cider, and soda. Madison was most displeased. Security was tight here, unlike back home where she faked her ID and easily got into bars to drink her fill with all sorts of exotic drinks.

"You look a little glum, Alexis," Mindy said.

Alexis sighed and smiled as she gave a wave of her hand. "Aw, forget it. I'm just bummed I lost that duel. Damn it, I was so close, but Jaden...I don't know. He seems to always get what he needs to get out of bad situations."

"Ah, you'll get him next time," Kylie said.

Kami nodded her head. "Yes. You're a great duelist, Alexis, one of the best. When you guys go head to head in round two, I guarantee the outcome will be different."

"I don't know," said Alice. "Jaden is what I call special. He's a different kind of guy."

"Oooo, special huh?" Mindy said with a tease. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked the guy."

"Hurk! What? No, no, you're wrong!"

Alexis giggled, finding her reddening face cute. "Hold still, you," she said, fixing her bow. "I swear, if I have to fix this thing again, I will staple it to your head. But you know something, girls. Even if I did win, I would never have turned them in."

"Really?" Wisteria asked, her steak halfway into her mouth.

"Yeah. I don't know why, but this place seems a lot more interesting with them than without them."

"I think so, too," said Alice. She got out of the booth and took Alexis by the hand. "Come on, a little dancing will get that glumness out of you."

"Huh, wait?"

"Come on, Alexis!" Mindy agreed, getting out of her seat. "Come on and shake that ass. Let loose! Otherwise, you're going to brood over this loss all night."

"Okay, waaaiit!" Alexis yelped as Alice and Alyssa grabbed her by the hands and yanked her out of the booth, dragging her to the dance floor.

For Alice, this was the perfect way to end a long and exciting week. She was surrounded by new friends who were starting to grow to become sisters. And she made it to the Red Arrows, which would hopefully help her achieve her goals and make her parents proud.

* * *

**_Dear Mother,_ **

**_What an amazing week this has been. I've made many new friends, met plenty of rivals, and I learned so many wonderful things. I want to thank you so much for allowing me to come here. I'm having the time of my life. I've joined a really cool team, which I will tell you more as the days go by. Everyone on this island is special, each in their own way. They all form their own bonds and even grown to become family. I know I've already formed my family here. I love my friends. And as I write this, I can't help but think about what new adventures await me next week. What new challenges will I face? Who will I meet next? How far will I on this long road to being the duelist you've always wanted me to be?_ **

**_Well, as dad always says, "Good things come to those who wait." And I am in no rush to see the days go by here. I love my school. I love my friends. And I love my beautiful Sacred Phoenixes. I have a feeling that so long as we're together, anything is possible. Until we meet again, mama. Take care._ **

**_Love,_ **

**_Alice_ **

* * *

**Wings of Cerulean**


	10. Slifer's Prodigy

* * *

**Alice**

_Rap! Rap! Rap!_

"Alice!" Enora called from the door. She knocked on it again much urgently. "Alice, come on, it's almost time for school, you up yet?"

Alice slowly stirred in her bed, hoisting herself up with her arms. "Yeah, yeah, I'm up!" she called back. She curved her back in a stretched and reared her head back, tossing her fiery-red mane. She smacked her mouth and made a face of disgust as she tasted her morning breath. She wiped drool off her mouth and then stood motionless for a couple of minutes.

"Alice, did you fall back asleep again?" Enora shouted. "Come on, Red Arrows are never late. Now get moving."

"Right, right, right," Alice said, getting out of bed. She looked at her Aster poster and smiled. "I'll be back, baby," she whispered before kissing it. She put on some pajama pants, which she took off during the night, and hurried out of her room to the bathroom to wash and pick up her uniform. Instead of her usual Obelisk Blue uniform, Alice now walked around wearing the proud black, red, and white vest, bow, and skirt of the academy's Red Arrow team. Of course, the coat of arms of the Obelisk Blue dorm was emblazoned brightly on the shoulder of the black shirt she wore under the vest. The skirt, though short, was very sturdy and fit snuggly on her hips.

As she walked out, Alexis whistled. She too was clad in her Red Arrow uniform. "It's about time," she said, munching on a buttered scone. "What the hell took you so long?"

"Nothing. Come on, let's get to class. It's only the second week and I don't want to be late for class. We have Xyz Summoning today. Ain't that grand? I don't even use Xyz monster for my deck."

"You must master every technique if you want to be a skilled duelist," Enora said, helping herself to one of the scones that were delivered to Alice's room in a basket. "You don't intend to play with the Sacred Phoenixes forever, do you?"

"Of course, I do. I trust my monsters. The deck I made is like an extension of myself. I can't afford to lose it. I mean, I'll build other decks for the fun of it but when it comes to the competition, I'm sticking to my phoenixes."

"Sounds good to me," said Enora with a shrug of her shoulders. "Yugi Muto never parted with his Dark Magicians, so I see no reason for you to part with your Sacred Phoenix monsters. Nevertheless, learn a little, my sweet. It could help you in the long run."

She smiled. The rhinestones on her bow shimmered in the blue light of the water outside the window of Alice's suite.

Alice grabbed a scone for herself and stuffed it in her mouth, clamping it down with her teeth as she put her messenger bag on and followed her friends to the campus for a long day of learning. They waited for the train to arrive to take them to the campus. The morning was awfully chilly, and it bit Alice's exposed legs. Not even her high knee socks could warm her from the morning chill.

"Want a coffee?" someone asked.

Jasmine and Mindy clasped their hands together and their eyes turned into big pink hearts. Alexis shook her head and walked away to avoid being seen with them.

"Bishop?" Alice said in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Uhh...I go to school here. Duh. Do you want the coffee or not?"

"You didn't sip from it, did you?"

"No, I have another one right here," he said, showing her a black latte cup. "I got this second cup of coffee just in case I met a very special lady today."

"You're quite the charmer aren't you? Well, sorry, I'm not interested in you, Bishop."

"I didn't ask if you were interested in me, Princess. I just woke up with a feeling that our paths would cross today. And low and behold, they have. Now, do you want it or not?"

"I'll take it," she said lunging for it.

Bishop yanked it back. "A lady says please and thank you."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Bishop, you're such a jerk," said Enora.

He didn't care. He still kept his smile and said, "Say the magic words, and the coffee is yours. Of course, you could stand there and freeze to death. The train won't come for another ten minutes."

Alice pouted her lips and her arms drooped. "Ugh. Bishop, may I please have the coffee?"

"Here you are, Princess."

"The name is Alice!" she said, swiping the cup from his hands. "And thank you."

"That's a good girl." He watched her drink it. "So, red rhinestone bow, fancy vest, long socks, sexy skirt, you must be part of the Red Arrows."

Alice set her beverage down on her palm, her bow twinkled in the morning sun. "Somehow I have a feeling you already knew about that."

Bishop laughed and brushed the fringes off his face because they tickled him awfully. He tapped his lip, signaling to Alice that she had some cream on her lip. She didn't move, so he wiped it off her lips with his finger and licked it off, leaving Alice stunned.

He grinned, loving her expression. "Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. I was there watching the tryouts. You can imagine my surprise when I saw you there, Alice. That was quite an impressive duel if you don't mind me saying. Horus the Black Flame Dragon in his ultimate form going head-to-head with the Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. That was one incredible duel and your skills are both intellectual and beautiful. Hey, do me a favor."

"What?"

"Give me a twirl. Let me see that uniform of yours. Come on, it's the least you can do for the coffee."

Alice rolled her eyes and spun around for him. Bishop whistled. "Very nice."

"Is this peasant bothering you, miss?" A tall blond boy from Obelisk approached them with a stern look on his face. He wore a long trenchcoat colored navy blue with black trim and a high collar that went up past his chin. And he had armored parts made of chrome steel on the sleeves of his coat and his pants, glowing with a light-blue trim. His hair was short and curly and he had one blue eye and a dark red eye.

"Well, if it isn't his highness from the mountain palace now," said Bishop.

"Oh," said Enora. "Alice, allow me to introduce you to —"

"—the biggest asshole in Duel Academy," Bishop interrupted. "This is Dedric Roxley. He's the leader of the Azure Knights. A group of hotshots with their own uniforms bought and paid for by this poser's father. Nothing but the best for daddy's little boy, eh, Dedric?"

"Watch your tongue, Bishop," snapped the boy. "You are speaking to a superior student."

Bishop scoffed. "No merely a higher-ranking one, Dedric. I believe Zane Truesdale has you beat in that department. And he happens to be a buddy of mine. Even he feels you and your group are all flash and no skill."

"Hmph. It's only a matter of time before I surpass him. Of course, there's fresh competition now with the new-bloods. Including this one. You're Alice Fenix, correct? Sister of the great Sara Fenix?"

"I am."

Dedric bowed. His zippers and gear clinked and his fancy cologne filled the air. "I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Fenix. My name is Dedric Roxley, son of the great Tegan Roxley, the five-time intercontinental champion. Congratulations on your victory and making it into the Red Arrows." He took Alice's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. "I have a feeling you will make this academy proud. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this riff-raff. Slifers are nothing but the lowest of the low. I heard about your encounter with Boris and his gang when you first arrived. Case in point. Oh, had I been there to protect you, things would have been much different. If you need anything, anything at all, Miss Fenix, feel free to contact me. Here's my ID number. Hopefully, we can meet up for some lunch. I could give you a tour of my suite the Obelisk Blue Palace up in the mountains if you'd like."

"Some other time, I suppose," Alice said, going red. But she took his information anyway.

"Any time you feel the need to meet, let me know. I will definitely free up space for someone as beautiful as you. Ugh, let me take that." He took Alice's coffee and threw it away. "Come with me to the cafe on the tenth floor. They serve much better drinks than that swill this Slifer served you."

Alice was at a loss. Bishop was a nice fellow. A little on the nose, but an all-around nice guy/

"Hmph, if it wasn't for daddy's money in your pocket, I bet you wouldn't be so suave, Dedric," Bishop said walking away.

"Bishop, wait!" Alice called.

"Let him go," Dedric said, holding out his arm to block her way. "He's nothing but trouble. He's got a criminal record, you know."

"He does?"

"Oh, yes. He beat up his girlfriend after they had a major disagreement. Trust me, Alice. You don't want to be mixing with people like him."

**Later**

**Ding-Ding-Dang-Dong!**

The final bell of the day rang, and every student in Duel Academy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Class dismissed," said Professor Crowler. "I expect your reports on the rules of Link Summoning on my desk before you leave my class. No excuses. If I don't find your paper, don't bother coming to my class next time."

Alice ran out of the classroom and gasped for air. "I can't stand his perfume!" she coughed. "I can't fucking breathe in there!"

She sat by a bench near the window with a grand view of the ocean below to breathe some fresh air. Three Campus Security Blackhawk helicopters soared by, shaking the halls. When they were gone, Alice received a message from Alexis.

_**Meet me in the forest! Lots of duels going on down here!** _

Alice bought herself a chocolate chip cookie and then hurried out of campus. She walked down a trail into a pine forest with big red cliffs and rock formations. There was a crowd of students standing around two students from Slifer Red having a duel.

"Hey!" Alexis said, waving her down. Alice already spotted her with the sparkly rhinestone bow of the Red Arrows that she was wearing.

"What's going on?" Alice asked.

"A lot," said Alexis. "Watch this."

She pointed at a Slifer student wearing a black beanie. He wore black headphones around his neck with red glowing parts. Music blasted from them as he began to end the duel.

"First, I play Double Summon! Next, I sacrifice Gene-Warped Warwolf and Celtic Guardian to summon Maju Garzet!" shouted the Slifer.

His peers watched in awe as a tall and shadowy fiend rose up from the ground, taking the place of the two monsters that were offered for his summoning. One half of his body was covered in black, green-hued fur and the other was just muscle and skeleton.

"Now listen here," said the Slifer. "The attack of my monster becomes the combined original attack of the monsters I used to sacrifice to summon him!"

"Wait," said Alexis. "That means Maju Garzett will get an attack strength of 3400!"

Alice noticed that both Trix, Bishop, and Kyros were watching the duel. She walked towards them and asked: "Who is this guy?"

"He's Andre," Trix said. "He's a first-year like us, but he's really good. He specializes in a Maju Garzett deck and boosts their power with spell cards to dominate his opponents. I mean, just look at that monster he summoned."

"And it's about to get a lot worse," commented Bishop. "He activated Double Summon, which means he's allowed another monster to call out. And I have a feeling that Maju Garzett is going to get even more powerful!"

Meanwhile, back up on the field, Andre held up a card. "I'm not stopping here. I'm sacrificing Maju Garzett to summon the powerful Great Maju Garzett."

Maju Garzett started growing taller and more muscular. Their hair on his forearms and back were getting longer. Dark blue flesh grew over his skeleton and his head formed a sort of crowned helmet. He flexed his muscles and roared.

"And now, Maju Garzett's attack becomes double the original attack of the monster I used to sacrifice!"

**ATK/6800**

"Hey, wait!" cried the other Slifer. "Time out!"

"Great Maju Garzett! Attack!" Andre shouted.

His great beast ran toward's his opponent's monster, Performance of Sword. He grabbed her by the arms and ripped them off. She screamed and stumbled backward, but Great Maju Garzett wasn't done yet. He started beating her to death with her arms, whacking her and whacking her until she shattered like glass. The Slifer fell to his knees and groaned, watching his Life Point meter drop down to 0.

"Oooo, that was brutal!" gasped Alexis.

"Aww, man."

"And that ends the duel," Andre said. "Good game."

Another Slifer with slick green hair ran up the arena. "Hold on, don't think you're getting off that easy, Neromaki! I challenge you to a duel!"

"Very well, such a shame the one I'm looking for is not here."

"You mean Jaden? Nah, don't bet on it, hotshot, he's got better things to do. You're just a poser and I'm gonna prove it! If anybody's taking down Jaden, it's me! Now, let's duel!"

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

The green-haired Slifer started first. "Your streak ends here, Neromaki! I summon Cyber Soldier of Dark World!" A flash! And then a giant purple and blue robot rose from behind the Slifer. "Heh, heh, next I lay a card face-down and end my turn!"

**Turn 2**

Andre drew his card and examined his hand. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. Still, he needed to work with what he had.

"I summon Queen's Knight. And then I play a card face-down!"

**Turn 3**

"Is that all? Some girly card is your only defense? Ha, you're not so tough. All right. I draw! I play Graceful Charity drawing three and you know the rest. Discard two. Yes! Now I activate the card, Cost Down, which means that —"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Andre. "The level of a monster you chose is reduced by two."

"So you know the card. Big deal. It's not going to save you from this. I sacrifice Cyber Soldier of Dark World in order to summon Perfect Machine King!"

Cyber Soldier Whirred and then exploded, then taking place from the ruins of his body rose a thirty-foot-tall red and white mech. Electricity sparked from underneath his feet as he rose out of the ground. He beeped and punched the air to display his dominance.

**ATK/2700 DEF/1500**

The green-haired Slifer looked at his hand and grinned confidently. Perfect. Mirror Force and Dimensional Prison. In case he summons that Maju Garzett, I'll be ready.

"I set two cards face-down. Oh, it's all over for your Queen's Knight and your winning streak, Neromaki! Perfect Machine King, attack!"

Hatches on the robot's red shoulders opened and he released a salvo of missiles that whistled across the air towards the Queen's Knight.

"I activate Magic Cylinder!" Andre declared. "Now the damage I take is fired right back at you!"

The missiles flew into a cylinder colored purple and gold with a big red and black question mark on either side of it. Then it shot right out of the second one, blasting the Slifer student with his own attack. He grunted and shielded his head with his arms, and when the dust subsided, his Life Points went down to 1300.

Alice's eyes were widened by the spectacle. It wasn't even Andre's turn and he dealt massive damage to his fellow Slifer.

**Turn 4**

"Your Perfect Machine King seems to have some flaws," Andre mocked the other student. He drew. "All right. Now, I summon King's Knight! And now his special ability activates. When he's summoned while Queen's Knight is on the field, I can summon Jack's Knight from my deck! Now, I sacrifice all three of them to summon the great Maju Kaiser Garzett!"

The crowd gasped. This new Maju Garzett he summoned was a giant. He was more powerful, muscular, well-armored, and had white wings on his back that faded to purple at the tips. The armored parts of his skeleton became thicker and turned into a dark shade of gold and were decorated with red orbs. And he carried a long sword that matched his armor. The combined total of the Knights he used to summon his mighty beast added up to 5000 points exactly.

"Christ!" shouted Trix. "Just how many of these things does he have?"

"Now, I use Monster Reborn to bring back the Cyber-Tech Alligator you used to discard with Graceful Charity!"

After a flash of light, the cybernetic reptilian creature stood by Andre's side.

**ATK/2500 DEF/1600**

"And from my hand, I'll boost my Kaiser Maju Garzett's attack with United we Stand, which gives him an 800 point boost for each monster in my field."

"Sixteen-hundred?" said Bishop. "That makes...uh…"

"Sixty-six-hundred points," groaned Trix.

Kaiser Maju Garzett raised his sword, flapped his wings, and took flight.

"Not so fast! I activate my trap card, Mirror Force!" He paused. "Hey, why isn't it working?"

Andre chuckled. "Because Kaiser Maju Garzett prevents you from activating any cards or effects during battle. Sorry, chum, you lose."

Kaiser Maju Garzett screamed and sliced Perfect Machine King in half, creating a massive explosion. The green-haired Slifer was tossed backward and landed on top of his gang.

"Good game," said Andre. "I guess."

"Oh, yeah! I'll take you on!" shouted another Slifer with spikey red hair. "Leave it up to me fellas!"

"Who are those guys?" Alice whispered to Bishop.

"They're just a bunch of wannabes trying to form their own Duel Gang. They've been running around all day looking for recruits. They wanted Andre to join, but he refused. They didn't take well to that at all. Now they want to kick his ass and take his Maju Garzett cards."

"Is he that good?" Alice asked.

"It takes more than brute strength to win a duel, sweetheart," Bishop said, twirling a lock of her hair with his finger. "Andre is good at making beat sticks. It's old-school, but very effective so far. But, I wonder how long that will last."

Kyros nodded. "Damn, right. My girl, Trix, challenged him after he's done beating the snot out of these punks. Can't wait to see her mop the floor with this hotshot."

"Jealous, Kyros?" Trix said, shaking her hips. "I don't recall you ever having a winning streak as long as this."

The duel started. Andre and the red-haired Slifer were ready to go.

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"I'm starting things off!" said the red-haired boy. "I summon a monster in defense mode and that ends my turn."

**Turn 2**

"I draw!" Andre declared. "I activate, Graceful Charity. I draw three and discard two. Next, I use Monster Reborn to bring back Jack's Knight. Now, I sacrifice him to summon Great Maju Garzett!"

His great beast returned. He flexed his arms and roared.

**ATK/3800**

"Now, I'll attack your face-down monster!"

Maju Garzett sprinted toward the creature, his footsteps shaking the ground with each step. Then he raised his arms over his head and smashed the card with both fists. He killed a strange, shadowy imp-like creature covered in sulfur.

"Ha! You activated my monster's effect! The creature you destroyed was The Thing in Crater. When he's destroyed in battle, I can special summon a Pyro monster from my hand. Here's Mr. Volcano!"

He smacked the card down on his red bladed duel disk summoning a dapperly-dressed gentleman with flaming red hair.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1300**

"Well, then, I end my turn," said Andre.

**Turn 3**

"Not much I can do. So I'll set Mr. Volcano to defense mode and summon a monster face-down."

**Turn 4**

"I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next, I summon Marauding Captain, which lets me summon Warrior Dai Grepher in attack mode. Now, I sacrifice them to summon Kaiser Maju Garzett again!"

"Oh no!" whined the red-haired boy.

"Oh, yes. Now I equip him with United We Stand and Fairy Meteor Crush, which will grant him the ability of piercing damage. And United We Stand will boost his attack to 3700! Now, I attack your face-down monster!"

Kaiser Maju Garzett swung his sword and slashed the monster in half. It was a Blazing Inpachi, who had a defense of 0, striking the boy's Life Points down to 300 with just one hit. Andre ended his turn and his once-cocky opponent nervously drew his card.

**Turn 5**

"I set a card face-down and tribute Mr. Volcano for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch! But don't think you're striking me down, I'm use Swords of Revealing Light! Now, you can't attack for three turns!"

**Turn 6**

"I draw!" Andre said. Boy, he hated that Swords of Revealing Light card. "I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

**Turn 7**

"Now I've got ya! And now I play Polymerization, fusing together Battle Footballer and Flame Cerberus together to create Blaze Fenix, the Burning Bombardment Bird!"

He summoned a blazing firebird with wings, a chest, and arms made of metal. It screeched and flapped its wings, creating watery mirages. The Solid Vision Technology even produced its heat, causing many of the students to back away. The flaming-haired Slifer looked down at Alice, Alexis, and Enora, and smirked.

"Well, those are cute outfits." He snapped his fingers. "I know! You're Red Arrows? Three of them? Damn, you're all so cute." He looked at Alice, snapped two times, and pointed at her. "So, you're the girl who's related to Sara Fenix, huh? Good looks run in the family, I see. Aren't you a pretty thing. You know, I heard you use phoenix monsters."

He posed to stand next to his Blaze Fenix. "Well, what do you think of mine? Pretty cool, huh? Say, why don't you and I go out for a drink after I take this loser down?"

Alice said nothing and backed away. Bishop moved in front of her to block the Slifer from looking at her. "She's not interested, hotshot," he said. "Why don't you keep your eyes off her and focus on your duel?"

The Slifer laughed. "Yes, why don't we? Now, Andre, once per turn Blaze Fenix will inflict 300 points of damage to your Life Points for each card on the field. And there's four, for a grand total of 1200 Life Points. Go, Blaze Fenix!"

The fiery bird took to the skies. The students ducked as it flew over them with a woosh! The trees rustled and the grass swayed as a rain of embers fell from the air. Blaze Fenix showered Andre with fireballs from its wings. Andre quickly held his arms over his head and protected himself.

**Andre LP 2800**

**Slifer 2 LP 300**

**Turn 8**

Andre drew. He lamented at his bad luck and ended his turn. Now the deck was stacked against him. If he didn't find a way to get rid of the swords, he was going to lose this duel.

**Turn 9**

The red-haired Slifer laughed. "I activate the spell, Hinotama! Now, you lose 500 Life Points!"

Fireballs fell from the sky and blasted Andre with damage. Next, the Slifer activated his Blaze Fenix's effect again, cutting Andre's Life Points down to 1100.

"Your move, loser! Why don't you quit now while you've got the chance?" He looked back at Alice. "Well, what do you think, Alice? Are you impressed, yet?"

Alice growled and narrowed her eyes at him.

**Turn 10**

"You know, that's no way to treat a girl," said Trix.

"I draw!" said Andre. "And my deck rewards me with this! Heavy Storm!"

"Oh no! My swords! Now he can attack me! And I didn't switch my monsters to defense mode!"

"Your overconfidence blinded you," said Andre. "Thought it was going to be that easy to beat me, eh? Well, too bad. Kaiser Maju Garzett, attack his Blaze Fenix and end this duel!"

Kaiser Maju Garzett attacked, slicing off the Blaze Fenix's wings. The bird called out in pain and exploded, leaving behind a cloud of dust and embers. Thestalos's imagine flickered and then he faded.

"But….no way...I...I was close! I should have won! How could I lose against this nobody?"

"Hit the road, red," said Bishop. "We got another challenger."

"That's you babe," said Kyros. He swatted Trix on the butt playfully and kissed her neck. "Give it all you got."

Trix took off her backpack and strapped on her duel disk. She stood across the field from Andre.

"You're the girl with the Dragunity monsters," said Andre. "Hope you know how to use them this time?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're still making a lot of mistakes using them. A true duelist knows their cards like the back of their hands. You will never improve if you don't know what your cards do."

"Oh, believe me, I know my cards just fine!" Trix's face was glowing red with fury. "Don't you dare insult me, Andre! It's time to duel!"

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

Andre drew his starting hand. "I'll be a gentleman and let you start first."

"Cut the crap!" shouted Trix. "You go first."

"Temper, temper," Andre said drawing. "I set a card face-down and summon Queen's Knight!"

"Uh oh, here we go," said Kyros. "He summons that Queen's Knight and uses something to defend her."

"Yeah," said Bishop. "And if he summons a King's Knight, he can summon Jack's Knight. Then he'll have all the monsters he needs to summon that Kaiser Maju Garzett. You better keep your guard up, girl!"

"I know!" Trix called. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I draw!"

**Turn 2**

"I summon Dragunity Couse!" She said, summoning a short black dragon with a bladed head. "And now from my hand, I can special summon Dragnunity Mystletainn!"

Trix called on a yellow dragon carrying a black and white sword that looked like a spear.

"Now, I use Dragunity Mystletainn's effect and bring Couse back from the graveyard and equipping him to Mystletainn. Now, I use Couse's effect and put him on the field in defense mode. And now I'll tune him and Mystletainn together. Just so you know, Dragunity Couse can be treated as a Level Four monster."

She clasped her hands together. "Synchro Summon! Level 10! Dragunity Knight - Areadbhair!"

"That's my girl!" Kyros said, clapping his hands. The sun was blocked out by a massive dragon colored grayish-blue on top and the royal blue on the bottom and trimmed in gold. The dragon had eight translucent white wings. It was longer than a football field and its golden-armored rider was atop its head.

**ATK/3300 DEF/3200**

"Now, I'll attack your Queen's Knight!"

The dragon reared up its head and opened its mouth. A halo of light flashed around its maw and then it fired a white beam at Queen's Knight.

"Not so fast!" shouted Andre. "I activate Draining Shield!"

The dragon's fiery white beam struck the barrier, saving Andre's Queen's Knight and increasing Andre's Life Points to 7300.

"Ah, shit!" grumbled Enora. "Not only are his Life Points at the top of the charts, but now he can summon his Maju Garzett."

**Turn 3**

"You bet that's what I'll do," said Andre. "Only this Maju Garzett will be quite different. First, I summon King's Knight! And you know what that means? I can summon Jack's Knight. Now, here comes my monster's ultimate form. Behold the ace of my deck! The Legendary Maju Garzett!"

The knights vanished and turned into black gloop, which formed into a tall, powerful monster with wings and golden orbs on his body.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Alice gasped.

"Look at its attack points!" said Alexis. "The knight's attack combined is five thousand. Now he's got more than enough power to take down Trix's Dragunity Knight!"

Andre held out his hand. "Go Legendary Maju Garzett! Attack her dragon!"

"No, he won't! From my hand, I activate the effect of Sphere Kuriboh. Now, your monster switches to defense position."

"That' a girl!" whispered Kyros. "Come on!"

"Hmph. Nice save there, Trix," Andre said. The music in his headphones around his neck got louder with the turn of a knob. He was getting serious now. "I set two cards face-down. That ends my turn."

**Turn 4**

"My turn!" Trix drew the holographic card from her duel disk. "I summon Dragunity Senatus. Now, I discard a card and equip Senatus with Dragunity Couse. Next, I activate Couse's effect, summoning him to the field. Now, I tune Senatus with Couse to create Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana!"

The two monsters took the air and turned into stars. The stars swirled and combined to create a dragon armored in red with a rider wearing a matching set of protective plate riding on its head.

"Now Vajrayana will equip Couse from the graveyard. You know what that means. Couse summons himself and I can tune him again for a Synchro Summon. Vajrayana and Couse combine! Synchro Summon! Level 10! Dragunity Knight - Ascalon!"

"YEAH!" Kyros shouted with a yell and a leap. "That's it baby! Now you've got him!"

"Wow," said Alice. "Looks like Trix learned a lot."

"That she has," Alexis agreed. "But just how much has she improved? It's one thing summoning those Dragunity Knights, but can she use them?"

"Use it's effect, baby," Kyros said through his teeth. "Come on, use Ascalon's effect to banish his Maju Garzett!"

"I attack your monster with Areadbhair!"

"Trix what are you doing!" cried Kyros.

"No!" Bishop said, holding out his arm. "Let her learn. If she forgets to make use of their abilities, that's her problem. She's never going to be a good duelist if she doesn't fucking read her cards carefully."

"I activate Negate Attack, now your battle phase has ended!"

"Aw, no!" Trix said, stumbling backward. "How...I…" She looked at her hand. She had no traps to defend herself from Legendary Maju Garzett. And she was so focused on that dilemma, she just plum forgot about Ascalon. Had she just banished one of her Dragunity's from the graveyard, she could remove Legendary Maju Garzett from the field. This was her last chance. Could she do it?

"Wait…" she said. "I can…"

"Come on!" Alice breathed.

"I end my turn."

**Turn 5**

Kyros felt like someone punched him in the stomach. "No, no! There has to be a redo! I can't just sit back and let this happen!"

"You didn't teach her properly," Enora said sternly. "So technically, you did let it happen. You spoil her with fancy cards, but you didn't have the mind to sit down teach her how to use them, Kyros. Now she's going to pay the price."

"My turn!" said Andre. "All right, Trix. It's been fun, but I've got to end this now. I use the power of Riryoku! Now, I cut your Dragunity Areadbhair's attack in half and add that to my Legendary Maju Garzett increasing him to 6650. Now, I attack and end this duel!"

Legendary Maju Garzett took flight and flew towards Areadbhair. He punched the dragon in the lower jaw, sending the knight riding it plummeting to his death. Trix fell to her knees as she took 5000 points of damage. Her Life Point meter beeped loudly as the score plunged all the way to 0.

"I...I lost."

"Man, he took her down quick!" commented a guy from Ra Yellow.

"Wow, that's ten wins in a row!"

"Is there no beating this guy?"

Andre then looked at Alice. "Hey, you're the one everybody's talking about. The girl with the Sacred Phoenix cards. You're also related to Sara Fenix, right? Wanna see if her talent has rubbed off on you?"

"Take him on, Alice," Alexis urged her. "Come on. If anyone can end this guy's winning streak, it's you."

"Red Arrows never back down from a challenge," Enora said. She winked. "Go on, Alice. You're a fine duelist. Play him."

"All right." Alice gathered her things and marched to the field, taking her spot. "I'm all set," she said after shuffling her deck.

"Good! And you better be at your best or you'll suffer the wrath I gave your friend, Trix."

"What?" Trix said, feeling rather hurt.

Alexis narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Whatever. Don't listen to him, honey. Alice, come on, girl! You can do it!"

"Duel!" Andre and Alice both shouted.

"You first," said Alice.

**Turn 1**

"If you insist," said Andre. "I'm not backing down, Alice. I won't stop until I become the world's greatest duelist! I'm going to beat the best this school has to offer."

"Well, first you need to defeat the likes of Zane, Jaden, Chazz, and Enora. But in order to get to them, you'll have to get through me! So don't go thinking you're getting the crown of King of Games just yet!"

"You're right. In order to get to them, I have to defeat you. You're a rising star around here, Alice Fenix. But sadly, your legend is going to die before it even begins, now that you're dueling me! I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next, I set a card face-down and summon Queen's Knight!"

"Ugh, this is getting so old!" said Bishop. "Be on your guard, Alice."

**Turn 2**

"Okay. I'll also play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next, I activate Prepreperation of Rites, adding a ritual monster and ritual spell to my hand. Next, I set two cards face-down and play Awakening of Nephthys. Now I offer this card in my hand to summon Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

A wall of blue fire burst from behind Alice and her ace flew out, circling the field and then hovering behind her proudly. The pine trees swayed dangerously back and forth from the wingbeats of the giant bird.

**ATK/3000 DEF/1000**

"Now, I attack! Destroy his Queen's Knight!"

Cerulean Sacred Phoenix shot a blue fireball from its mouth. As expected, Andre had a trap. Negate Attack. His Queen's Knight was safe.

**Turn 3**

"Is that the best you can do, Alice? Here comes King's Knight. Now that he's on the field with Queen's Knight, I can summon Jack's Knight. But I'm going to do something different this time. I use my knights to Link Summon the mighty Arcana Extra Joker!"

"Well, that's new!" Alice said, wondering what kind of new monster was coming.

A bunch of giant playing cards flew out of the ground and glided through their air, spinning, and twirling elegantly in a graceful dance as if they were harbingers to the monster Andre was about to play. And then he appeared. A tall, bearded knight in beautiful white and gold armor. He carried in one hand a massive golden shield with all sorts of colorful jewels and on the other hand, was a greatsword, also made of gold and covered in jewels.

**ATK/2800 LINK -3**

"Impressive," Kyros said, a comforting arm around Trix, still grieving about her loss.

Andre held up a card. "Now, I set a card face-down and use the spell, Riryoku, cutting your Cerulean Phoenix's attack in half and increasing my Arcana Extra Joker's attack to 4300! Your phoenix will be no more! Arcana Extra Joker, attack her Cerulean Sacred Phoenix now!"

The knight ran towards her monster. He jumped up high with inhuman strength and raised his sword over his head.

"You activated my trap card, Andre! Draining Shield! Now your monster's attack is stopped and my Life Points increase to 8300!"

"Ugh! I should have known that attack would be too easy!"

Andre could have activated his Joker's effect. Depending on the effect that was activated, he could have discarded that same card from his hand and negated it. Had Andre had a trap card in his hand, he could have negated the shield and destroyed Alice's Phoenix. Damn!

**Turn 4**

"Shame on you then, Andre," Alice said, turning to the side and giving her bottom a smack to tease him. "And now that your spell has worn off, my Cerulean Sacred Phoenix is stronger than your joker. Now, I use Awakening of Nephthys again to summon Devotee of Nephthys! And with her effect, I can call on Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys from my deck!"

"All right! Now she has two phoenixes!" Alexis cheered.

"Cerulean Sacred Phoenix, attack!" Alice commanded.

"No! I activate the trap, Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light!"

Bright green crosses resembling swords appeared in front of the Arcana Extra Joker.

"Now, by paying 1000 of my Life Points, I can stop your monster's attack. My Joker is safe from your Sacred Phoenix."

"Then I end my turn."

**Turn 5**

**Alice 8300 LP**

**Andre 3000 LP**

"Draw!" said Andre. "All right, Alice. It's over now! I tribute Arcana Extra Joker to summon Great Maju Garzett. Now, his attack increases to 5600! I will now destroy your Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

Great Maju Garzett ran towards Alice's phoenix and ripped her head off. Her Life Points went down to 5100.

"I will do the same to your Cerulean Sacred Phoenix, Alice. Let's see what you can do to stop my mighty monster!"

Alice drew. She smiled.

**Turn 6**

"I activate Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two. Now I activate, Heavy Storm, this will wipe your backboard clear!"

"NO!" Andre shouted as a fierce wind blew all around him and shattered his back row.

"Now, I activate Cerulean Sacred Phoenix's special effect! I discard Disciple of Nephthys to destroy your Great Maju Garzett!"

"Ugh! No!"

Cerulean Sacred Phoenix fired a beam from the crystal on her chest and shattered Great Maju Garzett to pieces, leaving Andre wide open for a direct attack. Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys showered Andre with blue fire and reduced his Life Points to 0.

The other students clapped and cheered. The streak was over.

"As Jaden Yuki would say! That's Game!" Alice said.

"And what a game it was!"

Alice gasped. She looked down and saw Jaden sitting on one of the pine trees so he could get a better view of the duels going on.

"Way to play, Alice. Good job."

"Oh...uh… thank you. Thank you, Jaden Yuki."

Andre picked himself up and slid one strap of his backpack over his shoulder. "Nice moves," he said. "You Red Arrows really are tough. Until next time, Alice. I assure you things will be different next time we duel."

He put his headphones on and walked away.

"Looking forward to it," Alice said, going back to her friends. She saw Trix who had tears in her eyes.

"Hey! You okay?"

"No," Trix answered sniffling. "It's because of things like this that I wasn't able to cut it as a Red Arrow. I got an On-Call by the judges, but what difference will that make? I'm going to fail that tryout, too. I'm just not good. I don't deserve to be on this team. I don't deserve to play with duelists like Alice and Enora and Cynthia."

"What you need is a little practice," said Enora. "If you want, I could help you out after school tomorrow. Come on, dry those tears. I'm sure we can think of something."

"I'll help, too!" Alice said. "I want to see you on the team, Trix. You play great. But you just got to read those effects, girl."

"Hey, count me in!" Jaden said, climbing down the tree. "I know this is Red Arrow business, but I never want to leave a duelist hanging. Cheer up, Trix. You can do it."

Trix wiped a tear away with her fingertip. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The bell tower started to ring as the sun slowly started to set behind the horizon.

"Well, we better get going," said Alexis. "The ferry back to our island leaves soon, and I'm starving."

"Yeah, I'd like a bite to eat, too," said Trix, rubbing her belly. "See you guys tomorrow then."

They went their separate ways and after having dinner, they went to their rooms and retired for the night.


	11. Pharaoh's Servant

**_CASTLE to all stations. Magician and Dragon are on MIKE to the target building…_ **

Two white vans followed the lonely, winding, dirt road toward a mountain known as the Screaming Mountain, so-called for the haunted activity said to have been reported there. The vans were occupied with soldiers from Shadow Phoenix, the most dangerous and well-equipped unit on the island. These guys, who were only called when things went really wrong in Duel Academy, weren't part of Campus Security. They were actually a highly unique top-tier PMC hired by Chancellor Sheppard to keep watch over the island and its inhabitants. But their job wasn't rooting out pirates or other thugs who wanted to plunder and pillage the riches the academy had to offer. That was Campus Security's job. Shadow Phoenix deals with much more dangerous threats.

As aforementioned, these guys were only called when things go wrong. And tonight, things have indeed gone wrong. They were being sent to find a group of students who vanished when they entered the island's abandoned dorm.

It was once a medieval castle that was occupied by a greedy, tyrant king who was said to have gone mad when he was haunted by the souls of all the poor settlers he and his knights slaughtered when they conquered Duel Island. The castle — for God knows what reason — was then restored and refurbished into a dorm. Or more like a clubhouse reserved for the most elite, rich, and most obnoxious Obelisk Blues who made it to their senior year. It was the site of lavish parties and epic duels.

Dragon 1, leader of the first team, heard stories that it was also used for dark magic rituals or something like that. What they did up there, he did not know. All he knew was that the kids tampered with something they shouldn't have and it cost them their lives. The dorm was abandoned since the incident, but every now and then some dumb kids would go urbexing into the mountains for hits on social media channels.

"Five minutes!" called the driver. The van shook on the rocky mountain road, causing the contractors to bounce around in their seats. They all wore black and Krpyek Typhon Crye Precision gear and quad-vision goggles. To make themselves stand out they wore bandanas with different styles of skull mouths that could glow in the dark. Dragon 1 had his in the form of a dragon's lower jaw glowing fluorescent orange and red.

A round white ceiling lamp on the roof of the van was their only light source. Outside the grated windows, Dragon 1 could see nothing but tall grass being dominated by a background of pitch black, with only the glittering lights of the academy and its dorms twinkling like stars in the night sky.

"Huddle up, boys," Dragon 1 said.

He held up his wrist and tapped on the computer mounted on it. A holographic profile of the missing students rendered over the machine.

"Lucas Spartan. Oscar Ungar. Carlos Guitierrez, and James McKnight. They were reported missing a few days ago by their classmates. Personally, I feel no pity for them. These son's o' bitches always find some way to get their names slapped on my desk. Last year, CAMP-SEC had them arrested, and then Chancellor Sheppard deported from the island. They ran some stupid card smuggling syndicate. They'd have contacts sneak in boxes of booster packs and then they sold all the rare cards for insanely high prices. To think many of kids were dumb enough actually purchase their shit."

"It's no surprise to me," said Dragon 4. "Let me tell you, these Duel Monsters nerds will cut out their kidneys and sell it for the right deck."

Dragon 1 nodded in repulsion. "Ugh. too right. But that's not all these dipshits had done. They've also been known to have mugged Slifers for the hell of it, and they were not gentlemen, either. They harassed female students like no one's business. Reports of hidden cameras in the locker room, boob touching, butt slapping, you name it. Some female students caught them filming up their skirts as they walked upstairs and other pranks of the sort."

"So why the fuck are they still students?" asked Dragon 5, clutching the barrel of his HK 416.

Dragon 1 scoffed. "Because their mommies and daddies have thick pockets and are major contributors to the school. Sheppard's a good guy, but even he won't turn away generous loans to the academy in exchange for forgiveness. Ain't it funny how money always has a way of making sins just disappear," he said as he wiggled his fingers while gliding his gloved hand across the air.

"If this is what I think it is, we're going to have a hard time explaining things to their parents," said Dragon 6.

Dragon 1 gave an uncaring wave of his hand. "As I said, I don't give a shit what happened to these morons. Dead or alive, their parents are going to pay a substantial fee for some form of peace of mind. Hey, Portman, the pool still open? Where are we at now?"

Dragon 2 looked at him. "Come on, Lambert, not this shit again. Besides, you lost last time, so why don't you just save it?."

"I wasn't talking to you, Vincent. Portman is it open or not? When do we close the bets?"

Dragon 7 flipped through pictures of big-assed social media thots on his phone and looked up at Dragon 1 with a bored expression on his face. "As soon as the van stops and we step out. So, what do you say, Lambert? You in? Gonna call your bet?"

"Depends on what's the prize pool. How much we talking?"

"In total, their parents are gonna pay 150,000 for news on their little princes. So I'm going in with about...1500."

"Sounds solid enough to me. Given the intel, I say some pirates were hanging out in the castle and slit their throats when the boys stumbled in. That's my final say."

"You always want a quiet night," laughed Dragon 4. "But I'll take it. Can't wait to take your money again, man."

"I'm in as well," said Magician 1, the leader of the other team. "I'm betting its shadow magic, the same shit that got those kids a couple of years ago."

Dragon 1 laughed. "No surprise there, Magician 1, you're always looking for a challenge against the paranormal. I'm sure all that voodoo bullshit those kids pulled a few years ago has already been contained."

"Can't wait to see the look on your face when I prove you wrong," said Magician 1. "Pirates are the least of our worries on this island. This part of the fjord is cursed. You know Professor Hawkins led an expedition here a few years ago and discovered mass graves and underground dungeons full of skeletons. There's a lot of evil in this place. And you know what kind of monsters we're guarding down there in those vaults underneath the academy."

"We're not guarding anything," Dragon 1 said, slamming the back of his head against the wall. His helmet clanked. "And remember, the company isn't paying us to guard anything...right?"

"Right."

"Ready up!" called the driver.

The soldiers picked up their rifles.

"Let's do it, boys," said Dragon 1 as the van shook when it came to a stop. The back doors of the van opened and they all stepped out. "Drop your NODS," he commanded, lowering his goggles. Even though there was a full moon, it was still horribly dark and the tall grass around them seemed to lower their visibility even more. With a click, the world around him was filtered in bright phosphorous green and yellow, hued with black.

"Dragon 1 to CASTLE. We're proceeding to the target building. Over."

"Roger Dragon 1. Over." The radio beeped and clicked.

A UAV kept watch over them from above. It displayed a thermal bird's eye view of the teams as they circled around the abandoned dorm. Dragon Team was outlined with white squares and Magician in white diamonds.

"Dragon moving to the front entrance."

"Magician here. We're moving to the basement. Tower 1 and Tower 2, secure positions and provide overwatch."

"Roger," the two ghillied snipers replied and they sprinted into the darkness to find good vantage points.

The tall grass when up to their waists and swayed around eerily as they slowly and cautiously marched toward the abandoned dorm. Their green laser sights danced and crisscrossed in the darkness. Dragon 1 could make out what was once the medieval castle and what was the newly constructed apartments and facilities for the students.

"These dorks sound like wannabe mafia," commented Dragon 3. "Nah, I bet there's nothing spooky going on. Two-thousand bucks says it's nothing but a business deal gone bad."

"Cut the chatter, Dragon 3!" Dragon 1 commanded. "Besides, you're too late. Betting's closed."

"Ha, fucking noob," chuckled Dragon 5.

"Don't let your guard down, rookie," Dragon 1 said, slapping his palm against the new recruit's vest. "You know what we're really paid to guard these kids against, right?"

"Yes, sir," Dragon 3 agreed nervously with a quick nod.

They huddled against the door. To their surprise, the extravagant knobs carved with scrollwork were still locked up tight with a chain and lock. Dragon 1 was confused. He looked up searching for open windows or something. Man, this place was creepy. The blue shutters on the windows were terribly dilapidated and some were barely hanging by their hinges. The walls, once gleaming white, now turned into a shade of chewing tobacco and were festooned with ivy. There wasn't even a hole in the wall to climb in. Weird.

He shrugged it off. This was a pretty big place and there were most likely lots of little niches these kids could enter.

He knocked on his helmet twice.

Dragon 3 walked toward the door and removed black bolt cutters from the side of his backpack. He cut the chains with ease. They fell with a loud clank on the concrete steps. Dragon 1 opened the door and they all walked in. The old wooden floorboards creaked under their heavy boots. The walls of the castle groaned. Their flashlights lit up luxury furniture, now moth-eaten and covered in dust. The kitchen, still gleaming with steel countertops and appliances, looked like it was waiting for the students to come back. There were towers of plastic red cups, piles of plates, and crushed cans of drinks here and there. A dusty elk's head hung on the top of the wall with two torn banners of the Obelisk Blue Dorm hanging on either side of it.

As the team proceeded deeper into the dorm, blue holographic rings haloed the barrels of their weapons displaying data such as ammo count, wind speed, temperature, and a mini-map with the blueprint of the building.

"Dragon 4 and 5 on me," said Dragon 1. "We're going upstairs. The rest of you continue to sweep the first floor and all the rooms."

He led his men to the second floor up a spiral staircase.

"Dragon this is Tower 1. There's some kind of blue glow in the upper levels of the dorm."

"Can you identify what it is?"

"Negative. It's just a light. And it's going up and down the third and fourth levels at an alarming rate. Be careful in there, guys. I don't like the looks of this place. Never did."

Dragon 1 looked over his shoulder at his 4 and 5. "All right, you heard the man. Stay frosty."

"Huh, I've always wanted to see a ghost," said Dragon 4.

"Dragon 1 this is Magician! Oh my God!"

"What's going on down there, Magician? Have you found our boys?"

"Yeah…"

"Where are they?"

There was a pause. "All over the place. CASTLE this is Magician. We've got massive damage all over the basement. There's blood everywhere. This place looks like hell."

"Copy, Magician. All teams, there's a possible threat in the building. Make a full sweep of the dorm! Find and eliminate the threat whatever it is."

"Extreme prejudice?" Dragon 1 asked.

"Roger, Dragon 1, extreme prejudice. Take it down by any means necessary."

Meanwhile, down in the basement, Magician 1 and his team surveyed the gore all around them. It looked like someone had drained these poor souls of all their blood and splashed it on the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Their radios suddenly let out a loud screeching noise, paralyzing them momentarily. Then they heard Dragon's garbled messages.

"Magician 1 to Dragon! Do you copy? What's going on up there? What did you find?"

"Hey, I'm not getting anything from the guys upstairs," said Magician 3. "My radio is going off the fritz."

"We need to get the hell out of here," said Magician 1. "Whatever's going on, it's paranormal."

"Looks like you're winning that bet," said Magician 2.

"Guys! Come here!" called Magician 7. "You need to see this."

The men lined up and placed their hands on their shoulders, forming a chain. They slowly walked into a chamber that was glowing with a red light bulb hanging from the middle of the ceiling. There was a wooden table in the center with shackles and chains hanging from all four of its corners. A rusty furnace stood in the corner. On the ground, they saw what looked like the arcane circle usually seen on the background of a Dark Magician card. Candles were placed all around it.

"What the hell is this place?" said Magician 1.

Magician 3 began searching the cupboards and vanities. He found nothing. Magician 4 then opened the door of the furnace and discovered something grim. He reached inside and took out a burnt piece of clothing.

"What's that?" Magician 1 asked.

"A Ra Yellow Uniform. Female. Looks like our boys had their fun with some poor soul and got rid of her."

"Those bastards," said Magician 1. He tried to use the radio again. Miraculously, the interference was gone and he got a good signal. "Magician 1 to CASTLE. Do you read me? Over."

"Copy, Magician 1, we read you loud and clear. What's going on down there?"

"Are there any reports of a girl missing from the Ra Yellow Dorm?"

"Negative on that, Magician. What did you find?"

"We found a Ra Yellow Uniform prematurely burned in a furnace down here in the basement. There's evidence of...some major wrong-doing here. We —"

"What the hell is that!" shouted Magician 5. "AAAACKK!" He fired multiple shots and then all was silent.

"Magician 5!? Magician 5! Respond!"

"Did you see that!?" shouted Magician 4. "He was attacked by a monster."

"A monster?"

"It dragged him across the corridor! They went that way!"

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" Magician 1 called.

CLICK! Their NODS went down and they were all left in the dark.

"Fuck! I can't see shit!"

"What the hell is going on? Magician 5, this is Magician 1! Do you copy?"

A blue flash of light erupted from a room down another corridor. They ran to it and found Magician 5 on the ground. His eyes and mouth were glowing blue and steam slithered out.

"Dragon this is Magician 1! Magician 5 is down! Possible KIA! Current weapons are showing no effect on the target. How copy?"

"C...py….at….get...your….upstairs….now….Suspicious anomaly in upp...leve…"

"Copy, Dragon 1," Magician said. "All right, men. You heard him. Let's get the hell out of here. Eyes open and stay alert!"

He took a glow stick from his vest and threw it down the hall. Meanwhile, Magician 3 took out a road flare and used it to provide some light as they made their way upstairs. Once they were free of the basement, they closed the door shut and moved a dresser in front of it. The rest of Dragon Team came to see them at once.

"What's going on?"

"We just lost Magician 5."

"What? How?"

"There's something down there. It's unlike any other anomaly we've encountered. It was strong."

"No kidding? Tower's reporting strange lights going on upstairs. Dragon 1, 4, and 5 are checking it out."

"No, we need to pull them out," Magician 1 said quickly. "Something terrible happened before he got here. We think rape."

"You serious?"

"Yeah. These guys must have gotten some poor girl from Ra Yellow to come here. When she was lured in, they dragged her downstairs and had their fun with her. And they must have killed her because all we found was blood and her uniform, which they tried to burn in the furnace. There's no doubt in my mind. The Shadow Realm is at work here."

"No, that can't be," said Dragon 3. "I thought the company sealed those portals up for good."

"Well, they're open again," replied Magician 2. "Somehow."

"Ah, great," Dragon 7 muttered. "It's never just regular bogies anymore, right?"

"This thing isn't even a regular anomaly," said Magician 1. "This is something stronger. God knows how long these gateways to the Shadow Realm have been opened."

"Long enough that anomalies can grow strong and cause some real damage," said Dragon 2.

"Right. When the Obelisk Blue kids fucked around with the artifacts they uncovered from the dig, a portal to the Shadow Realm opened and unleashed monsters of all kinds. We thought the company had the threat contained years ago but I have a theory. The trauma this girl underwent released negative emotions into the environment. The paranormal feeds off that kind of shit. I'm guessing the horror of what took place down there fed the portals enough negative energy to make a crack wide enough for whatever that thing is to come through."

"So now all we have to do is contain the threat, right?"

"It's not going to be that easy. This thing has been in our world for a long, long time. It sustained itself on enough of the negative energy radiating off this cursed place to finally become physical. And Lord knows how many more of these things have escaped and are running loose on Duel Island. But the thing that got Five. It's far more unique. We're talking a Category 5 Hazard here."

"I was afraid of that," said Dragon 7.

"What does that mean?" asked Dragon 3.

Dragon 7 punched his shoulder. "Christ, kid! Haven't you been paying attention at all? How did Langley give you pass to be here?"

Magician 1 held up his hand to quell them from arguing. "As I said before, the negative emotions from the girl are what pulled the anomaly into our world. Her trauma is what connected her to the monster, allowing it to come out. If that bond has grown stronger, then it's no longer just a ghost or a phantom Duel Monster. It's an Eidolon."

"Meaning what?"

"It means the anomaly can be summoned," replied Magician 4. He was also tired of Dragon 3's ignorance. "And in order for anomalies to have that kind of power, they have to form a really strong bond with an object, like a totem or something. Or in this case...someone. I believe — and this is just a big guess — it's the girl who got defiled down there. She has to be alive and still on the island. Except for those four clowns we're looking for, Duel Academy hasn't reported anyone else missing. If Lucas and his gang are guilty of the crime, then I think whatever that thing is down there took care of them as a means of revenge for its master."

"Or maybe she summoned it herself to get rid of them," said Magician 1 "Remember, it could be an Eidolon now. It makes sense. She discovers her new pet and sics it against the bastards who ruined her purity."

"That's not good," said Dragon 7. "If she has that kind of power, who's to say she won't use the anomaly as a means to hurt other students? Worse yet, anyone else off the island. What if it follows her?"

"If the bond is strong enough, it probably could. But who's to say it isn't capable of that already?"

"All right, the big question now is who is she?" said Dragon 3. "Who's the chick that can summon this monster? There's gotta be thousands of girls enrolled in this place."

"Well, we at least know the girl is in Ra Yellow. So we know where to start looking."

The radios clicked. "All units, this is Tower. I see the light again. It's going up and down the floors. Wait...Dragon 1! It's headed right towards you."

"LAMBERT!" shouted Dragon 2. He called up from the bottom of the stairs. "GET DOWN NOW! WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

"MOVE! MOVE!" Dragon 1 shouted, leading 4 and 5 down the hall towards one of the stairs that led to the next level. He saw the silhouette of something standing on the top of the staircase. Something with a long neck, claws, and a long tail. It was a monster! When he saw the fiery glow in its eyes, the world around him went dark. "SHIT! My NOD's stopped functioning!"

"Mine too!" said Dragon 4.

"Aw, fuck, I've gone dark as well. My Halo HUD is going off the fritz.

They heard the creature screeching with glee and it took off into the halls upstairs, its tail whipping around feverishly.

"What the hell is that?"

A blue light radiated from the top of the stairs. The last thing Dragon 1 saw before succumbing to darkness was the creature's flaming blue eyes as it jumped down the stairs to strike him down.

** Alice **

"When Xyz Summoning one must do what? Class? Anyone? Anyone?" The blue-haired and dull-toned Professor Stein asked as he stood up in front of the board holding a textbook in his hand. "You must stack monsters with the same - what? Class? Anyone? Anyone? The same Level. Take Gagagigo the Risen for example."

The card showed up on the screen behind him. Alice was doing all she could to keep from dozing off. It was bad enough that she wasn't a morning person, but now she had to deal with this boring man's lectures. His classroom was white and lit with bright, white, ceiling lamps. The shutters on the windows were always closed when he taught, blotting out the sun and making the room feel like an abyss of white eternity where seconds went by like hours.

She wasn't the only one. Even Bastion, Wiz Kid, as Chazz called him, was nodding off as he sat behind his desk, nibbling on his pencil and doodling, doing everything he can to keep himself from falling asleep. The moment Professor Stein started talking, Jaden's head slammed onto his desk and he passed out. A trail of drool slithered across the surface. Alexis's head slipped to the right and her cheek landed on Alice's shoulder. She was out. She could take it no more. Their usual instructor for Xyz Summoning was out with a summer fever. And out of all the substitute instructors in the academy, poor Alice and her class was stuck with this guy.

"Does anyone know the name of the stars on the left-hand side of the card? Class? Anyone? Anyone? It's called a Rank. He is a Rank 4 so you must stack monsters with a level of what? Anyone? Anyone? The same level. So you would require stacking three Level Four monsters in order to Xyz Summon it. The monsters that have been stacked are no longer present on the field. They are instead referred to as...Class? Anyone? Anyone? They are referred to as Xyz Materials. Now Xyz Monsters require removing these materials so they can activate their effects. I hope you're writing this down, everyone. There will be a pop quiz next time."

The bell rang...thank God!

"Remember to review your notes, class. Pop quiz. Pop quiz. If you have any questions, my office is open twenty-four-seven."

"My ass, I'll be going in there," Alexis said, slowly lifting her head off Alice's shoulder. She looked at the time on her PDA. "Oof, that's it for the day. I'm going for a walk. What about you?"

Alice put her things in her backpack then answered. "Oh, I'm going to meet Dedric for some coffee."

Alexis pursed her lips. "Dedric? Really? The Azure Knights leader? Alice, do yourself a favor and don't hang around that guy a lot."

"Is there something wrong?"

Alexis sighed, drumming her fingers on her desk. "Well, no. I mean sure, he's decent-looking, has a lot of money, is one of the top twenty in school, and comes from a family of gallant knights. But he's a total narcissist — thinks much about himself and his family. I don't want that ego of his rubbing off on you. I've seen it happen before. Nice people who hang around folks with his kind of attitude always take a turn for the worst." She leaned forward. "I don't mean to be intrusive, but...this isn't a date, is it? Is he propositioning you?'

Alice's eyes bulged and she shook her head. "He just wants to talk and have a coffee, I assure you. He said he was going to show me around the campus. I mean, I have to, you know. It's only the second week of school and I still don't know my way around this place. It's so huge. I have to take the train to my Holographic Arts class."

"Enora and I could have easily done that for you, Alice. You know we're always around to help you. But you know, I trust your intuition and you've proven yourself to be someone who doesn't take a lot of crap from anyone. Just be careful who make friends with around here is all. Oh, practice is tonight, so don't be late."

"I'll be there," Alice said, watching Alexis get up and leave. She then took a long elevator ride to the lower levels of the tower of glass and steel that was the main campus. Outside the glass walls, she saw the skies darkening again with another tropical storm moving in. The last rays of sunlight beamed down from the clouds as if they were trying to fight back the darkness. But soon, silvery drops began to splatter against the glass and a rumble of thunder shook the school.

By the time the elevator stopped, the storm had hit the island at full force. When the doors opened, Alice spotted Dedric reading on a wooden bench in front of the fountain in the atrium. He was curling a lock of his hair around his finger, then looked up and smiled, closing his book shut with one hand.

"Alice. So good of you to join me."

He took her arm and they both walked to the coffee shop and ordered their drinks. Alice, of course, ordered the biggest chocolate chip cookie they sold. It was half the size of her plate, and she had to eat it with a fork and knife.

"My, what the sweet tooth you are," Dedric said, signaling her to clean a smudge of chocolate on her lip. "I was afraid you would deny my invitation. So good of you to join me, this afternoon."

Alice wiped her mouth clean. "Well, I can't stay for too long. I have to meet with the team to practice a little later. But you seem nice and your family history intrigues me, to say the least. I heard you come from a long family of Misgarthian knights."

"That I do. Are you a fan of medieval history, Alice?"

"Not really, but I know enough about not to get lectured about it."

"Of course, I won't. Our family's history is long and very extensive. But any time you wish to talk about it, feel free to send me a message."

After they finished, the storm died down and the sun came out again. It was time to go. Dedric asked to escort Alice down to the gymnasium so she could join her teammates for their evening practice. Along the way, they talked a bit about each other. Where they had gone, what books they liked to read, and things of the sort. They had to cross a long sky bridge to get to the gymnasium, which was located on a small island across the water. It stood hundreds of feet high over the ocean waters and the architecture was modern and beautiful, with archways that reminded Alice of angel wings. The steel and concrete of the bridge were colored white and could light up in blue at night and it had glass railings that would occasionally scare unsuspecting students to death with holographic cracks. Thankfully, that didn't happen to the pair as they crossed.

"And it is here that we must depart," Dedric said, as they stood in front of a statue of Seto Kaiba and his Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which also glowed blue at night.

"Yeah, it was good talking to you," Alice said, shaking his hand.

"Have fun at practice. Might I say it was a most —" He paused. Something caught his eye. A group of Slifer Reds had a girl from the Red Arrows and a young boy from Slifer cornered against the glass railing. Unsurprisingly, the bullies were Red Crusaders. Boris and his little brother were even standing right behind the two brutes to oversee the harassment.

Alice wanted to call Campus Security, but two guards just passed them by like it was nothing. Unless the fists started flying, they wouldn't even move an inch. It was a total injustice, but she remembered they were nothing but mercenaries with itchy trigger fingers who wanted to settle disputes against armed pirates or smugglers, not a bunch of kids having a dispute over a card game.

"Do you honestly have no shame?" the girl shouted at them. She tall, and olive-skinned with long black hair that went all the way down to her back and had a blue hue when in the light of the sun. "They're trying to take his cards! Help us!"

"You're on Duel Island, sweetheart," said the officer. "You know how to settle things here. Unless they've got guns pointed at you, you don't need us."

"You're useless!" the girl shouted.

"You're supposed to be the best Duelists in the world. Stop you're crying, get out your cards, and deal with them yourselves," said the other security guard. They continued walking off.

"He does have a point," said Dedric.

"How can you agree with this?" Alice yelled, stepping away from him in disgust. "For goodness sake, they're supposed to serve and protect us no matter how large or small the problem. That's what I was told."

"Of course. They'll settle things like cyber-bullying, physical harassment, or even pirate attacks. But Boris and his friends just want some cards. They'll take them no matter how green you are. If that kid can't defend himself against a few goons like them, then he has no place in this world as a duelist."

"You make me sick!" Alice said, running away from him to try and help the situation.

"Stop!" the girl said, holding up a gloved hand. "Alice Fenix. I wished to meet you under better circumstances. Just stay where you are. I can handle them myself."

Alice froze at once. Boris and his brother glared at her and sneered. "Look, bro," said Zack. "It's Princess Pee!"

Boris nodded and spat a nasty green glob of mucus on the pristine white stone. "Yeah, I know. I could smell her a mile away. Coming to save the day again, huh?"

"Not today she's not," said the black-haired girl. "Your fight is with me. So let us begin."

"Very well, Farrah," said Boris. "I trust you'll supply my boys with a challenge, right?"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be satisfied. Now, who's going first?"

The first opponent stepped forward. Boris clapped. "Fagen! My man! Show her what we Slifers are capable of!"

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"I'll start!" Farrah announced. Her Duel Disk was dark blue and accented in gold that flashed in the rays of the sun, still peeking through black storm clouds now drifting away from the island. Farrah checked her hand and smiled. "I summon a monster in defense mode and set a card face-down. That ends my turn."

**Turn 2**

"Ho, ho, is that all? And you're an Obelisk Blue? Man, you guys are just nothing but talk. Easy credits, my friends. Easy credits! I summon Axe Raider!"

The warrior in bronze armor with purple cloth trimming it came out and grunted. He swung his ax around and beat his chest.

**ATK/1700 DEF/1150**

He charged toward the face-down monster and cut it in half. It was an undead guardian with ancient Egyptian royal guard garbs. He moaned and turned to dust, which blew away in the wind.

"My trap activates!" Farrah proclaimed. "The First Sarcophagus!"

The ground around her rumbled and the stone in front of Farrah's boots cracked open as a large, golden sarcophagus rose out of the earth.

"What does that do?" Fagan asked.

"Absolutely nothing. Well, for now."

Fagan laughed. "Man, I thought I had something to worry about. So that's what you've got, huh? A dust mop and an oversized box? I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 3**

"And I thought we Obelisk Blues were the biggest loudmouths on the island," Farrah chuckled as she drew. Suddenly, the sarcophagus opened.

"Look! It opened!" Zach cried out.

They waited in anticipation to see if the secrets of the sarcophagus were going to be revealed. Instead, another one came out. This one was also made of solid gold and carved with the face of an ancient, powerful Pharoah from ages past.

"What is that card?" Fagan asked.

"It's the Second Sarcophagus. Every turn that goes by, another one opens. There are three, meaning that if you don't finish me off this turn, you're done for. I play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Next, I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 4**

"You're not so tough! I'm not afraid of what's in that casket! Watch this! I activate Ancient Rules! With this card, I can special summon a normal monster from my hand! Come out, Sengenjin!"

The ground underneath his feet shook and BAM! Out from the ground emerged a cyclops with dark-blue skin and ragged red hair. He had golden weapons holstered on his body and he wore harnesses and a torn kilt and big red boots.

**ATK/2750 DEF/2500**

Boris, Zach, and the other Slifer cheered as the big monster smashed his feet against the ground and roared.

"That's not all. I use Mystical Space Typhoon! With this card, I can destroy your First Sarcophagus card!"

"I counted with Judgement of Anubis!"

A statue of the ancient jackal-headed god rose out of the ground. Its eyes glowed and it stopped the typhoon before its winds could even pick up.

"By discarding a card from my hand, I can negate and destroy the activation of a spell that would destroy my spell or traps. And not only that but I can select a monster on your side of the field and destroy it!"

The eyes of the Anubis statue flashed and shot red laser beams at the giant, turning him to stone, which then crumbled down to dust.

"And it's not through yet. Now, you lose Life Points equal to your Sengenjin's attack points!"

"WHAT! NO!"

**LP 1250**

Alice gasped. "Oh my! That was brutal!"

"Now that's one powerful card," said Dedric. "Farrah's not dumb. She knows her Sarcophagus cards are vulnerable. If one of them goes down, then the whole thing is ruined. But, dear me, she not only defended her cards but dealt a severe blow to that fool's Life Points, too."

"Are you through yet?" Farrah asked.

"Not even!" shouted Fagan. "I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in attack mode!"

A portal to a dark realm opened and from it jumped a gorgeous blonde woman dressed in western-style clothing colored sky blue underneath a tattered brown cloak.

**ATK/1100 DEF/1200**

"Next, I flip up my face-down card. Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade! And I give it to Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!"

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland held out her hand. Flames burst over her gloved palm and then a sword with an image of the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared. She grabbed it and swung it around, and each time she did, flames whipped from the steel into the air.

"Now, I'll attack your face-down monster with her! Go, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!"

The woman sprinted, jumped, and sliced Farrah's face-down monster in half. This time it was a mummy wrapped in grayish-white linen carrying a wooden rod. He attacked with Axe Raider, striking her Life Points. Farrah grunted as she crossed her arms over her face to shield herself from the strike. Her hair and skirt whipped around in the wind.

**LP 2300**

"That ends my turn. Come on! Bring it! Your monster's not gonna scare me!"

"We shall see about that," Farrah said coldly. "You've failed to stop the awakening of my ace. Now is the time to face his wrath! The third and final Sarcophagus opens. Arise...SPIRIT OF THE PHARAOH!"

The second sarcophagus opened and let out a smaller casket that was decorative and full of color. An ancient Egyptian hymn could be heard in the air as torches emerged from nowhere on either side of the sarcophagus. The third sarcophagus opened and from it rose up the signature monster of Farrah's deck.

He was the angry soul of a rich and powerful Ancient Egyptian ruler. He wore gold armor and cloth-of-gold silk garbs. The gold of his Neme flashed in the sun and it was also very colorful and wondrous to look at. He carried a gold crook with blue stripes on his left hand and a golden sword on the other. The skin of his muscular body was bluish-black.

His red-eyes flashed as he glared into the eyes of young Fagan, filling him with the chills.

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

"Oh no!" babbled Fagan. "That's him?"

"Yes, and when he's summoned to the field, I can resurrect his two servants which you killed. Return, Pharaonic Protector, and Pharoah's Servant!"

The two ghoulish guards rose out of the ground moaning and groaning. Farrah laughed. "What's the matter? I thought he wasn't so scary?"

"B-b-big deal! I end my turn." Fagan wasn't fooling anyone. Spirit of the Pharoah looked a lot spookier when rendered in Sold Vision. That was just too real for him. Far too real.

**Turn 5**

"I draw! Now, I Overlay Pharaonic Protector and Pharoah's Servant to Xyz Summon Sky Cavalry Centaurea!"

The two monsters turned into orbs of light and then morphed into a beautiful, armored winged centaur carrying a javelin and shield. The monster towered over her and caused the air to sparkle.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"I now use Pyramid Energy, which will increase the attack of my monsters by 200 points!"

**Spirit of the Pharoah (ATK/2500 → 2700)**

**Sky Cavalry Centaurea (ATK/2000 → 2200)**

"Now, I'll attack your Axe Raider with Spirit of the Pharaoh! Attack him now with your royal sword of the kings!"

Spirit of the Pharoah let out an eerie Eeeeeee sound and vanished into a blur. And then he appeared a second later in front of Axe Raider and cut off his head. Then, Sky Cavalry Centaurea reared up on his hind legs and galloped toward Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, dealing the final blow to Fagon's Life Points. Spirit of the Pharaoh joined in, smashing Fagon on the chest with his crook, knicking him backward and rolling to a stop on the ground.

"Pathetic!" said Boris. He stared at Spirit of the Pharaoh greedily. Then he scoffed and looked down at Fagon. "You're not fit to be a Red Crusader."

Fagon rubbed his belly and looked up at him. "B-but, Boss I…"

"Shut up and get out of here! NOW! Before I let my fists do the talking! Get out of my sight!"

Fagon whimpered and ran away.

Boris spat out another nasty glob of mucus. "Conrad. You can do this, right?"

"You got it. I'm better than that loser."

"You better be! Look at that monster of hers! I want that card! Get me that card!"

Farrah laughed and placed her knuckles on her hips. "If you want him. Come and claim him."

Spirit of the Pharaoh spun his blade around and grunted. He walked back to his Sarcophagus to rest. All three of them were resealed and he was gone.

Farrah reshuffled her deck and they were off again.

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

Farrah started the duel first again since she won the last round. "I use Pot of Greed for two extra cards. Now I set two cards face-down and summon a monster in defense mode."

**Turn 2**

"Fagon made the mistake of underestimating you. I won't make that same mistake again. I summon Great Angus!"

His monster roared announcing his arrival. He was a four-legged beast with pink, muscular flesh and sharp teeth.

**ATK/1800 DEF/600**

"Now, I attack your face-down monster."

"And I activate my trap. The First Sarcophagus!"

"What!? Already? Ah, no matter. I'll take you down before you can summon your Pharaoh again! Great Angus — SMASH!"

The monster snorted, charing towards the monster. He rammed his head into a giant turtle with a great pyramid for a shell and it wore a Neme on its head. It bowed its head as it smashed to pieces.

"You attacked my Pyramid Turtle," said Farrah. "Now with its effect, I summon Pharaoh's Servant in defense mode."

"All right. I end my turn."

"And the Second Sarcophagus arises." The led of the giant boxed coffin opened, revealing the second golden sarcophagus inside. It rose up and hovered over the first one.

**Turn 3**

"I draw! Hmm. I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

**Turn 4**

"All right. If I can't take you down this turn, then I've got to set up my defenses for the Pharaoh monster of yours." He drew and examined his hand. "Well, it's not much, but I've got what I need to hold my own against your stupid king. I summon Familiar Knight!"

The knight armored in silver and draped with a red cape came out and slashed his sword.

**ATK/1200 DEF/1400**

"And next, I boost his power with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, which will boost his power to 2000! Then I'll destroy both your monsters!"

Farrah stood tight, watching her two zombie warriors getting hacked to pieces. Not that it mattered. They were going got be back in a few moments. Even Conrad thought it was a stupid move."

He braced himself. "All right. Bring on your Pharaoh!"

He ended his turn. The Third Sarcophagus opened and the Spirit of the Pharaoh returned to the field to do battle. And per his effect, the two monsters he destroyed earlier had returned.

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

"I thought you were going to boost your monster's defenses," Farrah teased.

Trust me, I'll come up with a way to take him down and deliver him to Boris. Only he can truly wield that card!"

Boris nodded in approval while Alice rolled her eyes. "Quite the ass-kisser, huh?"

Dedric shook his head. "You have no idea. These dorks worship him or something."

**Turn 5**

Farah giggled. Her smile widened and the glitter on her lips twinkled brightly in the light of the stormy sunlight. "I'm disappointed. You fared no better than the last one. Now, like before, I will Overlay my Pharaonic Guardian and Pharaoh's Servant to Xyz Summon, Sky Cavalry Centaurea! I will attack your Familiar Knight with Spirit of the Pharaoh! Go! Attack and destroy him!"

Spirit of the Pharaoh glided eerily towards Familiar Knight and cut his head clean off with one quick swing of his golden sword, losing Conrad 500 Life Points. He was allowed to special summon Warrior Dai Grepher from his hand per Familiar Knight's effect, but what the hell did that matter. Farrah sure didn't think so. She commanded her Sky Cavalry Centaurea to attack his Great Angus. He reared up on his hind legs and charged and held up his javelin, striking Great Angus and dealing another 200 points of damage.

**Corad LP 3300**

**Farrah LP 4000**

**Turn 6**

"I draw. Here goes nothing!" He looked at his card.

_Awesome. Spikeshield with Chain. And I've got a Rush Recklessly, too. I think I can use these to stall her attack. If I activate these at the same time, I can boost Warrior Dai Grepher's attack points enough to withstand an attack from both that Pharaoh and her Centurea. I reckon she's going to attack with her Pharaoh first. If she does, that's it for him. I've got tons of cards that can boost the power of my warrior. All I've got to do is hold out this turn and hope to draw one. Wait! Why hope? I can just do it._

He quickly reached into the sleeve of his blazer and took out a Bashing Shield spell card, which could boost his monster's attack by 1000. If that happened, he believed there would be nothing Farrah could do to stop him.

_Like the boss says: Always gotta have tricks up your sleeve. Sorry, Farrah, but your Spirit of the Pharaoh is as good as Boris's._

"All right, I switch Warrior Dai Grepher back to attack mode and then I place two cards face-down. That's it for me."

_Come on! Come on! I know you want to attack me. Do it!_

**Turn 7**

Farrah had a sly grin on her face that made Alice form a smile of her own. It looked like she knew what to do to finish the game.

"I play Double Summon and summon two Pharaoh's Servant monsters. Now, I Overlay them both to Xyz Summon, Number: 45 Crumble Logos, the Prophet of Demolition!"

Dedric rubbed his chin. "Ah, a number card. Let's see how this plays out."

Lightning flashed in the sky and storm clouds lowered themselves to the ground next to Farrah and formed a mechanical Centurian creature with floating platforms for wings. He had the head of a bearded man wearing a black tricorn hat.

**ATK/2200 DEF/0**

"This is it! I attack your Warrior Dai Grepher with Sky Cavalry Centaurea!"

The monster proceeded with its attack, shaking the ground with each gallop.

"I reveal my face down cards. Spikeshield and Chain and Rush Recklessly! This will increase my Warrior's attack to 2900!"

Warrior Dai Grepher equipped his shield and used it to hold back Sky Cavalry Centaurea's attack. They both struggled for dominance, their weapons were causing sparks as they ground against one another. Farrah's Life Points went down to 3100. The shield suddenly cracked.

"NO FAIR!" shouted Conrad. "My monster is stronger than yours."

"In terms of attack, yes. But his special abilities make Centaurea a far more formidable monster. He cannot be destroyed in battle so long as he has Xyz Materials attached to him, he cannot be destroyed in battle. Also, when he concludes his battle, I can remove an Xyz Material and send your monster back to your hand."

Conrad was at a loss for words. Centaurea used his javelin to create a portal that sent Warrior Dai Grepher back to Conrad's hand. Then Spirit of the Pharaoh and Crumble Logos charged in and destroyed what was left of his Life Points."

Boris said nothing and left. His brother followed him. Zach tried to speak to him, but Boris chose not to speak. He was furious. There were so many people around watching his two cronies getting beat. He heard something that he never heard before. Teasing. He heard people teasing him. They were pointing at laughing at both he and his brother. It was just as he feared. He and his gang were starting to lose their infamy. He pushed a few laughing Ra Yellows out of his way and took the bridge back to the academy.

"Well, he won't show his face around here anymore," Farrah said, wiping sweat off her brow with her wrist. "I hope."

Dedric chuckled. "After what you did to him, no. This place isn't for the likes of him anyway. Well done, Farrah."

Farrah scoffed. She walked to a vending machine under the shade of a tree and purchased a bottle of water. "Please. There's no need to congratulate me." She waited for the machine to toss her water out. She took two big gulps. "They were terrible. Generic as hell warrior decks. Seems like every Slifer has them. Fighting them is no challenge."

"Well, if you're looking for a challenge, why not try your hand against this one. Alice."

"I've heard good things about her in the locker room. They say you're pretty good. But not as good as your sister, though."

"I don't intend to surpass her," Alice replied at once. "I have no means of doing that. I just want to earn my keep with the team and study for the credits I need for my engineering degree. I want to build holograms like my mom does, not Duel. Don't get me wrong, I want to get better, but I have no interest in the Pro Leagues."

"So why are you in the Red Arrows?" Farrah asked before gulping down more water.

"I just want to earn my trophies and my ribbons. I want to do well enough in the game to keep my mom and the rest of my family off my back. I don't want to follow in Sara's footsteps."

"Well, you'll definitely do well here, Alice. Keep practicing and you'll be one of the best. But I'd better get going if I were you. Practice is about to start."

"Oh, darn! What about you? Aren't you going to practice?"

"No, I have other affairs. I'm going to the medical wing to see my older brother. He's part of a PMC that provides security on the island."

"Is he okay?" Alice asked.

Farrah shook her head grimly. "No. And neither are most of is team members. Something bad happened to them last night."


	12. Soul Snatcher

**Evan**

The academy field exams were only a day away, and while the rest of the students flocked to the library to study, Jaden took Syrus, Chumley, and Evan on a walk to the meadows far away from the school grounds to eat and enjoy the scenery of the island. Emerald landscapes with rolling hills and tall pines that were arrested by snow-capped mountains in the distance. In the sky, birds flew in circles chirping at the endless peace and calm of the meadows. The sky was a beautiful shade of turquoise and the afternoon sun warmed the four Slifers as they walked down a dirt path to a lake that reflected the environment so well, it looked like a giant mirror. They weren't alone though. There was a boy from Obelisk Blue sitting on a log with a fishing line in the water. Across the lake, a group of girls from the Red Arrows were having a picnic under a tree and listening to their friend play her guitar.

Then he saw something shimmering not far away from their spot. It was Pricilla.

"Hey!" Evan called.

"What's going on?" Chumley asked.

"It's...huh?" Evan pointed to the spot where he saw Pricilla. She was gone. "But...she was right...hmm. Well, at least she's not here."

"You mean Alice?" Jaden asked as they marched to a spot under the shade of a willow tree. "What's the deal with you two? Alexis said she won't even look at you."

"Something happened that shouldn't have happened," Evan said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's just leave it at that."

"Huh. It must have been something really bad for her to hate you that way. Alice doesn't strike me as the kind of person to hate someone."

"Well, you know girls. You can hand them the sun, the stars, and the moon. But wrong them once, and they'll treat you like the worst villain in their story."

Once they reached the shore, Chumley removed his backpack and brought out their lunch. They found a ring of boulders to sit on and happily ate their grilled cheese sandwiches. Chumley sure made a lot of them before they went on their hike. Syrus, who was far more nervous than any of them about the field exam, found a little tranquility when he looked around at the green fields, topped with yellow wildflowers. He quickly plopped a few pills into his mouth to combat his allergies. The last thing he wanted to be right now was for his weak health to be an inconvenience for his friends. They were enjoying themselves right now despite such an important exam quickly coming up.

Thankfully, his medicine was working quickly and effectively. In time, he joined in on the laughter even though he still had the cold feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He tried his best not to think about it, but it wasn't himself that he was worried about. Being stuck in Slifer Red was a no-brainer for him. With his mediocre skills, he would be doomed here for the rest of his days at the academy. It was Jaden who he was worried about. In the short time since coming to school, Jaden had shown great talent. Add the fact that he beat Dr. Crowler at the entrance exams, and he was a shoo-in for a promotion.

He knew Jaden was going to rank up during the exams, he just knew it. Then there was Evan. He started as a 'scrub' as talentless players were called but with the new cards he acquired, he became quite the duelist. Even though he lost to Zane, Evan's performance led to his older brother giving him his respect. And that's not something the great Zane Truesdale normally gives out. Sure, he was at the bottom of the Slifer Dorm, but what if he impressed the professors just enough to get him to advance to Ra Yellow with Jaden?

Then he was left with the thought of being left alone in the Slifer Red Dorm. He looked Sadly at Chumley. Chumley didn't look like he cared if he passed or not. Being held back two years did nothing to phase this guy. He was a good person and a great cook, but wow was he lazy. And just how do you hang out or make friends with a person who sleeps all day? He might as well just be alone in the dorm.

Aww, man.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," said Bastion, coming up the hill with a hiking stick. "Great minds do think alike, I suppose. I was coming to this spot as well. Mind if I join you?"

Jaden, being a person to never deny more company, happily coaxed him over. "Of course not. Good to see you, Bastion."

"Funny seeing you out here at this hour," Chumley said, wiping his mouth of cheese residue. "Did they close the lab or something? You're usually staying after school for extra work."

Bastion sat down on a boulder next to Evan. "Work on chemistry? With the field exams on the way? No. I couldn't possibly do that. I was in the second-floor arena working on my dueling. Although, I didn't find much in terms of practice. It amazes me how some students are where they are with such poorly built decks. For heaven's sake, I dueled against an Obelisk Blue who was using a structure deck for beginners."

"Well, remember, most of those guys are in that dorm because their mommies and daddies got them up there," Evan said. "Besides Zane, Chazz, and even my sister, I don't think Obelisk Blue has that many good duelists."

"Your sister wouldn't by any chance be that cold blonde with the Chaos Emperor Dragon, would she?" Chumley asked.

"Elizabeth? Yeah, that's her. Why?"

"I saw her playing against three duelists at once in the arena the other day. She wiped them all out, man. Even off the arena, she's a total bitch. I just asked if she had a quarter for me to use so I could get a soda from the snack machine, but she just gave me this look. I felt like I wasn't going to be happy all day and I lost my thirst."

Evan rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, Chumley. She wasn't always like that."

"No?" Syrus asked.

"Believe it or not, there was a time when she smiled. We played together all the time when we were little, and she even kept the bullies away because, man, could she throw a punch." Evan looked at the grass to avoid looking at his friends. He did his best to keep the tears back, but they always flowed every time he talked about the old Elizabeth. "But once our uncle taught her how to play Duel Monsters on a more professional level, she changed for the worst. She didn't want to play with me anymore because all she wanted to do was duel. She started making other friends and leaving me in the dust. But from time to time she talked to me. Not as much as she used to, but she was there. It all went to hell when Aster Phoenix defeated her in the Industrial Illusions Cup."

"I read about that online," Bastion said as he poured himself some punch from a flask. "Every sponsor she had pulled out upon seeing her defeat. Such a shame. I can't imagine what it must be like to have all that pressure on you. To know your livelihood was on the line at all times. And when she let them down, they abandoned her."

"I thought that was just lame," said Jaden. "They expected too much from her. A loss is a loss — it happens. It wasn't right the way they treated her for that loss. Evan, I know I'm probably going too far by asking this, but, is it true she almost...you know…"

"I know. And it's true. She tried to swallow some pills because she couldn't live with the disappointment. However, a professional duelist named Koyo Hibiki helped her back on her feet. My family — we owe him a lot. Elizabeth wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

"Wait!" Jaden said at once. "Your sister knew Koyo Hibiki?"

"Did you know him?" Evan asked.

"Know him? Ha! He taught me everything I know about Duel Monster. In fact, many of the cards I use in my deck are his."

"No kidding?" Chumley said.

"No," Jaden replied, shaking his head. "The Terra Firma card I use was once his. Before he...he fell into that coma. I've got to say, Evan, I think it's kind of cool how he had some kind of influence on our lives, huh?"

"Ha. Yeah. Who would have thunk it, huh? Yeah, thanks to him, Elizabeth was able to win the local tournament. Our uncle still saw she had loads of potential and decided to give her one last shot here at Duel Academy." Evan's smile went away. "I guess it's going a little too well. I heard a lot of scary things from the players that took her on. Lots of students don't even bother playing against her, so I heard."

"I most certainly don't want to play against her any time soon," Bastion said.

"I wouldn't mind dueling Elizabeth," Jaden declared uncaringly as if she would just happily accept his challenge and have a fun match.

"You serious, Jay?" Chumey asked.

"Yeah, I'm totally serious, Chumley. I think me going against her would make for a sweet match."

Evan couldn't help but simper at Jaden's confidence. He truly didn't have a care in the world. "Well, if there's anyone around here who can beat my sister, it's you."

"Him? Beating her? Improbable!" The Obelisk student set his fishing rod down and marched towards them as though Jaden had committed a terrible sin.

"So, you're the famous Jaden Yuki, the kid who beat Dr. Crowler." The boy slid his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You may have had some luck beating Crowler, but I assure you, there's no way you're going to defeat a goddess, like Elizabeth Blackburn."

"Goddess?" Bastion said. "Riley, that's a little extreme, don't you think?"

"Not at all. I speak the truth. That's what Elizabeth is alright. She is a duelist with grace, intelligence, and a burning spirit. I have confidence that one day she'll get her revenge against that buffoon, Aster Phoenix. I, for one, have seen great improvements in her skills."

"You must really love my sister to be calling her a goddess," Evan said.

Riley looked at Evan. He examined him from head to toe and laughed. "You must be Elizabeth's poor excuse of a brother. Evan, correct? Hmph, a bronze-ranked Slifer Red, I never thought there could be anything so pitiful in my life. Makes sense why they have you lot living in the swamps because that's where you belong."

"I'm getting tired of this guy," said Chumley. "Look, man, we don't want any trouble. And we didn't come all the way out here to look for trouble. So why don't you calm your ass down and go back to fishing."

"I will not go until I have had my match."

"A match?" the Slifers said.

Riley slid his glasses back up the bridge of his nose again. "Yes. My match. I challenge you, Jaden Yuki, to a duel. Right here. Right now. For the honor of Elizabeth Blackburn."

"For her honor?" Jaden asked. He burst out laughing. "Come on, man, I didn't mean any disrespect. But if you want to go, then I'll be more than happy to oblige. I'm always up for a good duel. Get your game on!"

"What in the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Riley asked, turning on his D-Pad. "Must be the slang of the peasants I suppose."

"Wipe the floor with him, Jaden!" Evan cheered.

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

Riley drew his six cards, immediately declaring he gets the first turn. "I've heard a great deal about you, Jaden Yuki. Your Elemental HEROS bring in quite a crowd, don't they? Well, I fixed this deck up in case I should ever face you. First, I activate Pot of Greed for two additional cards. Oh, this hand will never do. I use Card Destruction. Now we must destroy our hands and draw a new one. Think of it as a redraw, if you will." Both he and Jaden drew their new hands. Riley reviewed the cards with a leer. "Oh, much better. Most excellent. Now, Jaden, I activate the spell, Prohibition."

A silver and black plaque appeared behind Riley. The plaque was blank...for now.

"With this card, I declare a card name. And, so long as this card is out, for the duration of the duel, you will be prohibited from using the said card. And I choose your ace in the hole. The card you always use to pull yourself out of nasty situations. Polymerization."

The name of the fusion spell appeared on the plaque.

Jaden recoiled a few steps back. "What!? I can't use Polymerization!"

"No, fool, you cannot! Now, I summon the mighty Infernal Dragon in attack mode!"

A bonfire burst out of the ground. The black and red wings of a large dragon caused it to disperse and revealed the monster. He was ten feet tall with a fifteen-foot wingspan and he had a large trident at the end of his tail.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"Now, Jaden, I activate another spell. Dragon's Gunfire! When I have a dragon on the field, I can inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points! Go, Infernal Dragon!"

Infernal Dragon took to the air with one powerful beat of his massive wings. He flew in circles above them and shot a fireball from his mouth, which smacked the ground in front of Jaden. Jaden grunted, crossing his arms over his face to shield it from the debris flying in the air. His jacket snapped back in forth in the gust created by the blast.

**Riley - LP 4000**

**Jaden - LP 3200**

"That's enough punishment for now. I end my turn."

**Turn 2**

Jaden drew and examined his hand. Aww, man. Not a good start. And this terrain advantage gives his dragon a serious advantage. What's worse is that I can't use Polymerization so long as that Prohibition spell is out on the field. I could have used my pal, Sunrise, right now. I guess I've gotta hold out until I draw something good.

"I summon a monster in defense mode. Next, I'm throwin' down two face-downs and ending my turn."

**Turn 3**

"Is that seriously the best that the great Jaden Yuki can do? Ha! Perhaps beating Crowler truly was nothing but luck after all. I now summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in attack mode!" He placed the card on his Duel Disk and summoned a great, green dragon who was fast asleep. "And now, I'll Overlay them both to Xyz Summon, Kachi Kochi Dragon!"

"That doesn't sound good," Chumley commented when he felt the earth shaking underneath his boots.

Suddenly, a dragon made of steel rose out of the ground. He was as tall as a mountain and let out a thunderous call that echoed across the meadow.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1300**

"Next, I activate the spell, Stamping Destruction! It's another spell that requires a dragon to be on the field. With this card, I can destroy one of your spell or trap cards and inflict 500 points of damage to your Life Points! Go!"

Kachi Kochi Dragon stampeded towards the middle card and smashed it with his foot. It was Jaden's HERO Signal card. His Life Point meter went down to 2700.

"Now, Kachi Kochi Dragon! Attack his face-down monster!"

The dragon reared up his front leg and smashed Jaden's Elemental HERO Shadow Mist, who, when destroyed, allowed Jaden to add a HERO to his hand from his deck. Then, Riley activated Kachi Kochi Dragon's effect. By removing an Xyz Material, the dragon could attack again. He went straight for Jaden's Life Points. Jaden was knocked backward by a few feet and landed on his back.

"Oh no! Jaden!" Syrus cried out.

**Riley LP 4000**

**Jaden LP 600**

"Oh, this is just too rich," Riley said, sliding his glasses up the bridge of his nose again. "And here you thought you had what it takes to duel Elizabeth Blackburn. The arrogance of you Slifers never ceases to amaze me. Go on, Jaden. Make your final move so I can end this duel. Elizabeth will be pleased to know you've been defeated."

"What makes you say that?"

"I just know she will. I feel it in my heart. Everyone is after you, Jaden Yuki. Do you think that defeating Crowler made you some sort of celebrity? That little freak accident painted a large target on your back. All the best players in Duel Academy will be coming after you. But after this, there won't be any need to prove anything. Once I defeat you, all those silly stories; they die. I'm better than you. And I'm about to prove it on my next turn."

Jaden started...babbling. Sobbing almost. Was he crying?

"What's with him?" Evan asked.

"Perhaps the duel has proven to be too much for him," Bastion replied.

"Aww, what's the matter?" teased Riley. "You want to go home to mommy, tough guy?"

Jaden reared his head back up and let out a loud laugh. "Go home? Are you kidding? This is the best! I knew coming here was going to be worth it. I mean come on, how can anyone not have fun in this place. The trash-talking, the action! It's just too much! And do you honestly think that all those elite players coming after me is going to scare me? Ha! No way! That just means I'm going to duel more and more. I can't wait to take every single one of those guys on!"

"You truly are such a lost cause. No matter. Hurry up and play your last card so I can end this game."

**Turn 4**

"Last card? Sure, but I'm the one who's going to be ending things here. First up, I'm summoning my buddy Elemental HERO Sparkman. Next, I use Monster Reborn to bring back Elemental HERO Shadow Mist. Now I've got what I need to fusion summon just the monster to take you down."

"Fool! Have you forgotten my Prohibition card? You cannot use Polymerization!"

"Haha! Polymerization isn't the only way to fusion monsters you know. When Shadow Mist is special summoned, he lets me add a very special spell to my hand. One that can summon another breed of HERO."

"You jest!"

"I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing you don't have a clue what I mean. Haha. All right. The card Shadow Mist added to my hand was Mask Change! Now, I'll use it on Elemental HERO Sparkman!"

"What's going on?"

"I'm allowed to fusion summon a new HERO with the same attribute as Sparkman! Now, come on out, Masked HERO Koga!"

"What's this? Masked HERO?"

Sparkman jumped into an orb of light in the sky. Then, a superhero in gold and white armor and bladed gauntlets jumped out.

"Masked HERO?" Bastion said with a nod. "Jaden is just full of surprises."

**ATK/2500 DEF/1800**

"Time to end the game," Jaden said. "Because now, thanks to Koga's special effect, I can banish a HERO monster in my graveyard and decrease your monster's attack points equal to the attack points of the monster I banished. And the monster I choose is one you sent to the graveyard with your Card Destruction. Elemental HERO Bladedge, who has 2600 attack points. So your dragon's attack is reduced to 0. And that's not all, Riley. For every monster you have on the field, Koga gains 500 extra attack points, increasing him to 3000! Now, Masked HERO Koga, attack his dragon!"

Koga flew towards the dragon, and with his two blades, he cut the dragon's head off with great ease. Riley cried out in shock and dodged from left to right to avoid the falling debris. His Life Points plummeted to 1000.

"Now, I activate the quick-play spell, Form Change. With this card, Koga will tap out and let me summon another Masked HERO with the same level as him. Come on out, Masked HERO Anki!"

"Wow! Another one!" cheered Syrus. "Way to play, Jay!"

Taking Koga's place was a HERO dressed in, spiked, and metallic armor colored dark red, gold, and black.

**ATK/2800 DEF/1200**

The new, darker, Masked HERO flew towards Riley and struck him hard on the stomach. Riley cried out in agony and flipped a few times before he landed on his stomach. His Life Points went down until they beeped at 0.

"That's game!" Jaden said.

"So it would seem," Riley said, struggling to get up. "But mark my words, Jaden Yuki, this won't be the last time you hear from me. Enjoy this victory while you can. Oh, and just because you beat me, it doesn't mean you'll defeat Elizabeth. She will destroy you. She will crush your spirit. I've seen many fools think she was easy pickings because of her defeat against Aster. All of them hobbled back to their dorms in such a sorry state. You won't be any different."

**Alice**

"Do you think what Farrah said is true?" Alice asked Alexis. They were both sitting on the bleachers waiting to be paired up with their opponents for evening practice. "What could have done that to that team?"

"Something must have happened up there," Alexis replied, shuffling her deck nervously, something that seemed very off for Alexis. Ever since she heard about the strange activity coming from the abandoned dorm in the fjord, she had been acting feverishly. Alexis's hands were shaking so much, she dropped her cards. "Oh, shoot!"

"Again? That's the third time," Alice said, helping her pick up her cards.

Alexis lightly swatted her hand away. "No, no, it's fine, Alice, I got it. Thanks."

"Alexis, if there was any word on your brother, I'm sure Farrah would tell you," Enora said, sitting behind them. "She's an honest girl, who would never keep secrets from anyone. Especially not her teammates. She views us like sisters, you know that right?"

"I don't doubt her," Alexis replied, picking up the last of her cards. "But all that red tape surrounding the incident that happened up there. It just doesn't make any sense. Pfft, pirate ambush. You expect me to believe poorly trained, poorly-equipped pirates can do that kind of damage to an elite tactical security team? I saw so much fear in their eyes, Enora. They didn't encounter pirates up there. I can feel it. I'm sure whatever it is that did that to them, is the thing that caused my brother to vanish."

"And so what if it is?" Cynthia said at once. "Alexis, darling, you're not thinking about looking for it, are you?"

"So what if I am?"

"You can't!" Alice cried out. "Alexis, if not even a team of well-trained soldiers can take on whatever it was that attacked them, what makes you think you can?"

"I will hear no more on the matter," said Enora. "Alexis, you are not to go to that place. As captain of the team, I forbid it! Going to the dorm is against campus rules. Do that, and I'm dismissing you from the team. Understand?"

Alexis sighed. "I understand."

A duelist was occupying the arena in front of them who took down her opponent with a fierce monster called Soul Stealing Oviraptor. Once Alice looked at the monster, she couldn't help but feel cold. Alexis, even Enora, didn't like looking at it. Something about the solid vision hologram of the monster seemed off. The creature stood there on its zone, waiting for its master to make a move, and as it did, it gave Alice a chilling look with its foaming blue eye.

Tina was the name of the girl using it. She wore a cappuccino-colored cowgirl hat with a crochet weave, decorated with a faux woven band with oval-shaped diamonds, rubies, and sapphires to match the colors of the Texas flag. It was a bit much, but it sure made her stand out a bit. Long, messy, honey-colored hair flowed down to her back streaked with bright pink and baby blue highlights. Tina came from a wealthy family from Texas. Her father was a well-known oil tycoon and her mother a revered paleontologist, which probably explained her affinity for using dinosaurs in her deck. She knew how to bring them out to the field quickly. They swarmed the board in no time, and combine them with the power of the True Kings, they were an unstoppable force. To fight alongside her Ultimate Conductor Tyranno was True King of All Calamities, a strange winged, dark-gray behemoth that resembled a dragon with a mish-mash of feathered and scaled membranous wings. The two powerful monsters attacked her opponent's field and wiped her out. At the same time, the arena next to the one Tina was using was also vacated with the end of a duel.

"Good job, ladies!" called out Aqua, who was watching the duel from the railing on the second floor above the arena. "All right, clear out for the next pairings. Next up. Farrah versus Alice. Use Field A. And on Field B, Alexis versus Angel. Have fun and give it all you got."

"What was up with Tina's Souleating Oviraptor?" Alexis said.

"I don't know, but I'm going up against Farrah?" Alice said. "Oh, dear."

"You can do it," Alexis said, patting Alice on the shoulder. "Let's see how my Cyber Angels can do against Angel's Megalith monsters."

"Ritual versus ritual," said Cynthia. "My, my, this ought to be interesting. Ah, hurry, Alexis. Angel's already beaten you to the arena."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Alexis said getting out of her seat. She walked to the field she was assigned to and met up with her opponent, who was a classmate from her literature class. She had brilliant green eyes and whitish-blue hair with a heart-shaped hair clip on the left part of it. Alexis found it hard to tell from where she was standing, but she could swear the girl was blushing as she watched her climb up the steps to the dueling platform. Yup. She was. Not again! Alexis found it creepy. Every time she walked into class, Angel would get quiet and just stare at her all day. "You sick or something?" Alexis asked the shy girl.

"Oh no," Angel said, putting her hands behind her back. "No, not all. Just wanted to say I'm a big fan of yours, Miss Rhodes."

"Just Alexis, please. Now come on. Chin up, stand straight, and let's duel. I've got a lot of homework to do after this so shake the cobwebs out of your head, and let's get this over with."

"Yes, Miss Rhodes, anything you say."

"Ugh."

Alice watched them begin as she shuffled her deck. Farrah was in the bathroom, so she had to wait for her to arrive.

_Come on, Alexis, you haven't been yourself since Farrah told us about the dorm. Focus._

"I'll start first," Alexis said, drawing her starting hand.

**Alexis - LP 4000**

**Angel - LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Angel swooned. "I know you get this a lot, Alexis, but you're very beautiful."

"Ugh, whatever. I summon Cyber Petit Angel in attack mode! And when it's summoned, I can add a Cyber Angel or a Machine Angel ritual spell from my deck to my hand. Now, I activate the spell, Merciful Machine Angel. I discard Cyber Angel Benten and draw two cards, but I can only ritual summon this turn. And that's just what I plan to do. But first, since Benten was tributed, I can add a LIGHT monster to my hand. Next, I play the spell, Machine Angel Ritual! I tribute Cyber Anel Idaten and Natasha to summon Cyber Angel Vrash!"

A chorus of whoops and cheers rang across the arena as Alexis's mightiest Cyber Angel formed onto the field in a curtain of bright light with a rain of white, glowing feathers. Her bright, translucent wings illuminated behind Alexis, crowning her with a halo of light ringed with a rainbow hue.

"An angel summoning angels," said Angel, grasping her hands together, her knees bending forward. "They're so amazing! You're so amazing, Alexis. You're a really great duelist."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Angel," Alexis said sternly. "And if you think Vrash is powerful now, wait till you see this. When Idaten is used for a ritual summon, she'll increase the attack of a monster of my choosing by 1000 points. Now Vrash's attack points will increase from 3000 to 4000! See if you can top that!"

**Turn 2**

"I'll do my best. But I don't think I have what it takes to tango with the likes of Alexis Rhodes."

"Just draw."

"Right." Angel yanked the card off the top of her deck and added it to her hand. "Okay, I play the field spell Megalith Portal!"

The platform shook. Alexis heard a bodiless chorus singing in Latin, followed by dark organ music. A gateway made of light swirled above Angel."

"What did you do?" Alexis asked.

"You'll see what it does soon enough, gorgeous. Your Cyber Angels are great. Let me introduce you to my ritual monsters. From my hand, I activate the effect of Megalith Bethor! Want to know what makes my Megalith monsters so unique, Alexis."

"I know what they do. The monsters themselves can be used as the spell to conduct the ritual summoning. I'm not a novice."

"Well, color me impressed. You really do know this game from the inside and out. Well, then, I use Bethor's effect, offer my Megalith Phaleg, and summon another Bethor I have in my hand."

Angel summoned what looked like a statue, but it was alive and resembled a winged, fiend-like creature. His body was colored black and gold. He had no legs, instead, he floated in the air on a hi-tech platform.

**ATK/1500 DEF/2600**

"Now, I activate Bethor's effect. For every ritual monster in my graveyard, I can destroy one of your cards."

"Oh no!" cried Alexis.

Bethor roared and bathed Alexis's monsters with green-black flames. However, Alexis saved them by banishing her Machine Angel Ritual spell.

"You're so good!" Angel complimented. "But that won't be good enough. Now, I use the effect of Megalith Portal and add Phaleg back to my hand. Then I use Phaleg's effect to conduct another ritual summon. I offer Megalith Hageth and summon Megalith Phul!"

Her next monster was the statue of an angel, also hovering on a hi-tech platform. The angel was covered in iridescent crystals and its head was a multi-colored galaxy.

**ATK/500 DEF/2000**

"Megalith Phul's effect activates! I tribute Bethor to ritual summon from my deck Megalith Phaleg!"

Angel summoned a white statue of a winged warrior with a spear and shield. It hovered toward the field, it's body was glowing red with a strange aura.

"Now, with Phaleg on the field, all my monsters will have their attack and defense points increase by 300 for every ritual monster in my graveyard."

**Megalith Phaleg (ATK/2500 DEF/1200 → 3700/2400)**

**Megalith Phul (ATK/500 DEF/2000 → 1700/3200)**

"No way!" Alexis exclaimed.

"Oh yes," cooed Angel. "Now, Megalith Phaleg, attack her Cyber Petit Angel!"

Phaleg rose up higher into the arena and threw his spear at the angel. Its wires and parts burst out from the back end of the monster. The little creature beeped and exploded. The spear then smashed in front of Alexis. She screamed and covered her face with her arm, grunting as she struggled to stay up. The force of the blast was too powerful, and it knocked her flat on her back.

"Oh! Ow!" she cried. Her Life Points falling to 900.

"Amazing!" Alice said out loud. A little too loud. She covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry, Alexi."

"Nothing to apologize about, Alice," Alexis said getting up. "She's good."

"Really?" Angel asked. "That means a lot coming from you, Alexis."

"Don't let it get to your head, okay? It's just a compliment."

"I can't help it. You're my hero."

"Thank you. Now do me a favor and keep it that way. My turn."

**Turn 3**

Alexis drew. "Okay, I'll use Merciful Machine Angel to trade a Cyber Angel for two cards."

"And Megalith Phul's effect activates."

"What?"

"Yes. Megalith Phul is a conduit of ritual summoning. During either player's turn, I can activate it and ritual summon a monster. Now, I tribute the Megalith Phaleg in my hand to call upon Megalith Aratron!"

The arena shook with a booming roar. The portal opened and unleashed a statue of a four-headed dragon with glowing orange patterns and spikes. Their wings were gold and were built to be large and wide. The fourth head had its own wings, which were white and feathered.

**ATK/2000 DEF/3000 (3200/4200)**

"My Cyber Angel Vrash is still stronger!" Alexis declared. "Vrash! Attack Megalith Phaleg!"

Vrash's golden ring hovering behind her back started to glow, as did her wings. She unleashed her most devastating attack, giving it all she had. BOOM! A cloud of black smoke billowed from the spot where the statue once was.

"NO!" Alexis cried out when the smoke cleared. Megalith Phaleg was still standing, however, Angel's Life Points went down to 3700. Barely a scratch. "What happened? My monster should have won that battle."

"My monster stands because of Megalith Portal. The first time a ritual monster I control would be destroyed by battle, it doesn't. You're going to have to try again to take it down, but that doesn't seem quite likely from where I'm standing."

"I'm not giving up!" Alexis declared. "This duel's only just begun."

"I'm here! I'm here!" Farrah called out, running up the steps. "Sorry, I'm late. So, I'm going up against you, eh, Alice?"

"So it would seem," Alice replied, disappointed that she was going to miss the rest of Alexis's duel with Angel. "All right, Farrah, you ready?"

"Yes. I'm so tired of slumming against big-mouthed Slifers. Hopefully, you'll fare much better than Boris and his gang."

"I won't disappoint you, I promise."

"I have no fear of that. I'm sure the great Sara Fenix's little sister can handle herself quite well. You first."

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Hmph. Even if she wasn't my sister, I'd have what it takes to be here. I'll show you! Draw!" Alice grimaced. "Damn. Not what I'd call a good starting hand. Oh well, hopefully, these will keep me safe until I can cook up some combos. I set two cards, face-down, and end my turn."

**Turn 2**

"I draw," Farrah declared. "I set a card face-down. Next, I use the spell, Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two. Now, I activate Premature Burial. By paying 800 of my Life Points, I can summon a monster from the graveyard. Come forth, Mystical Knight of Jackal!"

Something jumped out of the ground. It was a soldier with the body of a well-built man with the head of a jackal. The knight was covered in light brown fur and it wore a blue cape, loincloth, and Neme. It carried two golden katars as weapons. It slashed them across the air and howled.

**ATK/2700 DEF/1200**

"I will attack your Life Points directly with my monster. Go, Mystical Knight of Jackal! Strike her down!"

The jackal knight sprinted towards Alice, his katars flashing in the ceiling lights and his clothes flapped viciously with each movement.

"I activate Draining Shield!" Alice declared. Mystical Knight of Jackal's attack was stopped and she took no damage and her Life Points increased to 6700..

"Well played, Alice. I end my turn."

**Turn 3**

"I draw! Oh, shoot. This is not good. I set a monster in defense mode and that ends my turn."

"And you've just sealed your doom, my dear. But first, I activate my trap. The First Sarcophagus!"

"Oh no!"

"Yes, and thanks to your face-down monster, it will be kept safe until it opens and unleashes the Spirit of the Pharoah."

"How so?"

**Turn 4**

"Watch, my friend," Farrah teased. The First Sarcophagus opened and the second one hovered in the air. "First, I will activate Pot of Greed to add two additional cards to my hand for more possibilities. Next, I set a monster face-down and attack your face-down monster with Mystical Knight of Jackal!"

Her knight roared in response to her command and sprinted across the field. He jumped and then jabbed his right katar on the card concealing Alice's monster. It was Hand of Nephthys. She screamed and shattered to pieces.

"She will not be going to the graveyard thanks to my Mystical Knight of Jackal's effect. When he attacks a monster, it gets sent back to the top of your deck."

"He what? Oh no! Oh, this is terrible."

"She sure walked into that one," Enora said.

"That she did," Cynthia agreed. "Now Alice is in a really tough spot. That Hand of Nephtys is all she has now to keep her Life Points safe for a short while. But if she uses it to defend herself, she won't be able to get any new cards. However, if she doesn't summon it, then she leaves herself wide open for a direct attack. That Mystical Knight of Jackal is strong enough as it is, but combine his power with Farrah's Spirit of the Pharoah, oof, it's over."

**Turn 5**

"I choose to end my turn without playing a card," Alice said sadly. "All right, I'm ready for your Pharoah monster, Farrah."

"Yes, that's what they all say," Farrah said when the final sarcophagus opened and awakened the Spirit of the Pharoah from his sleep. He moaned eerily as he stepped out of his resting place and onto the field, wielding his golden sword and crook. Per his effect, Farrah brought back Pharoah's Servent from the graveyard.

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

**Turn 6**

"Now I'm in trouble," said Alice.

"Trouble? Oh no, my friend. We're just getting started. I flip up Pharaonic Protector and then use him and Pharoah's Servent to Xyz Summon, Gachi Gachi Ganetsu!"

**ATK/500 DEF/2000**

"Gachi what'cha-who?" Alice said. Farrah said the name so fast it was hard to understand her. But the name quickly became the least of her worries once a giant brute wearing sheets of armor on his arms and orange shorts appeared.

"My giant will increase the attack and defense of all my monsters by 200 for each Xyz Material he has. So that's 400 points."

**Spirit of the Pharoah (ATK/2500 → 2900)**

**Mystical Warrior of Jackal (ATK/2700 → 3100)**

**Gachi Gachi Ganetsu (ATK 500 → 900)**

"And now our little duel comes to an end," Farrah said. She gave a heavy sigh. "Strange. Your friend said you were good. But I guess I'm just better. Go, my monsters, attack her Life Points."

"I activate Wabuko!" Alice shouted, activating a trap that summoned three priestesses dressed in blue. Thanks to them, the onslaught was stopped and she took no damage. "Oh dear," Alice groaned, placing her hand on her chest. She was half expecting Farrah to counter the trap. Thankfully, nothing happened and she was safe.

"Well, you sure know how to keep yourself safe, Alice. All right. I end my turn."

**Turn 7**

"I equip Cyber Angel Izana with Ritual Weapon!" Alexis shouted from the other arena. Alice gasped. The tides had turned in that duel. The portal above Angel's head was gone and Alexis had Cyber Angel Dakini on the field alongside the Izana she had just powered up. "This will increase the attack of a ritual monster by 1500 points. And with Cyber Angel Idaten in the graveyard, Izana's attack increases by another 1000 points, raising her attack to 5000! Now that I've destroyed your field spell, your Megalith Monsters have lost their only support. Go, Izana, attack Megalith Phaleg!"

Dakini, the multi-armed Cyber Angel jumped forward, carrying her new weapon, which increased her attack by 1500. She smashed the statue with ease.

"Ha! With Phaleg gone, your monsters lose their power bonus. Now Izana's effect activates. When she destroys a monster in battle and sends it to the graveyard, she can make a second attack. Izana, attack Megalith Phul. And by the way, Angel, thanks to Dakini, my ritual monsters can inflict piercing damage to your Life Points."

Izana slashed Phul in half. The angelic statue started sparking and then exploded, dealing 3000 damage to Angel's Life Points. She screamed and fell on her back, her Life Point meter fizzling down to 0.

"Yay! Way to play Alexis!" Syrus shouted from somewhere.

Alexis looked around and spotted Jaden, Syrus, Bastion, and Chumley on the second floor above the arena. They were eagerly watching the Red Arrow's practice rounds.

"Nice moves, Lex," Jaden commented. "You really turned that one around."

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We came looking for ya, let's go eat!"

"Eat!" Bastion exclaimed. "You've eaten half the food we brought on our picnic. How on earth does one with an appetite so huge manage to stay so thin?"

"That's a phenomenon nobody can solve, Bastion," Alexis responded with a laugh. "Hang on, I'll be right with you. Let me finish watching Alice's duel."

"Oh no, you on ahead," said Alice. "It's no trouble, really."

Alexis stepped off the platform ("I love you!" Angel called as she ran to the locker room). "No way, Alice. I want to see this. Looks like you're in a tough spot, aren't you? I'm eager to see you pull out of it."

"Hey, I don't mind watching one more duel," Jaden called from above. "Come on, Alice, play."

"Well, thank you. All right, Farrah. Enough playing around. I activate the spell, Prepreperation of Rites. I add both a ritual monster and a ritual spell to my hand. Next, I activate, Rebirth of Nephthys. I tribute Hand of Nephtys to summon Devotee of Nephtys, which lets me summon Disciple of Nephtys. Now, from my hand, here's another Rebirth of Nephtys. I tribute Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to summon Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys."

Alexis clapped. "That's it! There you go!"

"Now, I tribute my monsters to Link Summon Nephthys, the Sacred Flame!"

The monsters Alice summon digitized and then formed into the flaming red Sacred Phoenix. Since she used two ritual monsters to Link Summon the Sacred Flame, it gained 1200 attack points, increasing its strength to 3600. She attacked the Gaichi Gaichi Ganetsu monster, but Farrah saved it by removing an Xyz Material from it. She still took 2700 points of damage, severely damaging her Life Points. Farrah felt like such a fool at that moment. Her overconfidence got the best of her. She was so sure she would take Alice down on that turn and thought to grandstand by using all her monsters to attack. That mistake left her weakest monster in attack position and vulnerable.

**Turn 8**

"That was my fault," Farrah said. "It's one of the many things I must learn if I want to be a great duelist."

"What's that?"

"My overconfidence. I won't lie, I let it get the best of me. I shouldn't have underestimated you earlier, Alice, my apologies. But, that was then, this is now. I will use Lightning Vortex to destroy your Sacred Flame Phoenix!"

Black clouds swirled over the field and then bolts of lightning struck the ground around Nephthys, the Sacred Flame. Nothing happened.

"Special effect?" Farrah asked.

"Yes. Sorry, Farrah, but when I used two ritual monsters to summon the Sacred Flame, she gained the ability to be shielded from card effects."

"I see. Well, you may have gotten me this time, Alice. But next time, I will emerge the victor."

Alice chuckled. "Well, we meet her three times a week for practice, so look me up any time you want to have that rematch, Farrah. Nephthys, the Sacred Flame, attack Spirit of the Pharoah and end this duel!"

The Sacred Flame screeched and took to the air. She flew circles over the field and then shot a geyser of fire from her mouth, striking the Spirit of the Pharoah and reducing Farrah's Life Points to 0.

"Aw, man! That was great!" Jaden declared. "Wow, you Red Arrows are good duelists! Anyone wanna take me on! I wanna duel!"

"Jaden, get a hold of yourself!" Bastion groaned.

"I can't help it! This place is amazing. This school is the greatest! Come on! I'm game, anyone wanna play?"

Alexis lightly sniggered at him. "Oh, Jaden."

"Alexis!" Zane called from the entrance of the arena.

"Oh, hang on a moment, you guys. This won't take long." She sprinted toward the entrance to meet up with Zane. "What's up?"

"We have to talk," he said sternly. "Come with me outside."

Alexis gulped. He didn't sound at all very happy. She trailed behind him as he led her out to the garden. The sound of crickets and the waves below crashing against the structures of the school and the rocks gave Alexis a sense of peace for a moment. That was until Zane turned around and folded his arms.

"I understand there was a bit of an incident at the abandoned dorm. Some members of an elite security unit were hurt during the operation. They say pirates ambushed them or something."

"I don't believe it," said Alexis. "Not a word. I tried asking Chancellor Sheppard about it, but he refuses to see me and discuss the matter. They're hiding something. I know it."

"So do me a favor and stay out of those affairs, Alexis."

"But, Zane, this is big news. There's something else going on in that place. You heard about the discoveries Professor Hawkins made when the excavated the place, right? All those bones and strange artifacts."

"Yeah, it's spooky, but there's nothing that connects what happened to that team with your brother. It was a band of pirates as far as I'm concerned. I heard from your friends that you want to go see for yourself."

Alexis grunted and looked away. The moonlight made the ruby rhinestones of her bow twinkle like the stars above them. "I have to, Zane."

"Don't even think about it, Alexis!"

"You wouldn't understand, Zane. What if whatever it is that's causing all this is the thing that got my brother?"

"It was a group of pirates, Alexis. Nothing more. But suppose there is something in there. Suppose it is the thing that caused your brother's disappearance. What do you plan to do about it? How do you plan to take on something that a team of men far stronger and better equipped than you could not even defeat? What if 'it' gets you, too? Think of the sadness it will bring to your friends. Your teammates. What about Alice? She's grown rather fond of you. You're her best friend. And what about me? What am I supposed to do if something were to happen to you? Hmm?"

"Zane, please. I have to look into this. You don't know what it's like being worried sick all the time. Being sad even during moments that are supposed to make you happy. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since he vanished. I cry myself to sleep every night wishing that he would come back. What if this is my chance to get him back?"

"I don't care! It's too dangerous Stop putting yourself at risk like this."

"Why?"

"Because you're not the only one who lost someone, Alexis!" Zane almost yelled. He calmed down and straightened up his blazer. "You're a good friend, Alexis. I don't want to lose another. Promise me you won't go to that place. Please."

"Zane…"

"Promise me."

"I can't…"

"Then I have nothing more to say to you." He turned and marched away.

"So that's it then?" Alexis asked. "You're just not going to talk to me anymore?"

"Not so long as you have intentions of going to the abandoned dorm."

"All right, Zane, all right. I promise."

Zane stopped. "I have your word."

"As a Rhodes, yes. I swear to you that I'll never go to the abandoned dorm. You're right. There's a lot of people who care about me. I'd be spitting in their faces if I put myself at risk. Especially yours. Come on, Zane, I'm sorry."

"Killing yourself is not going to bring him back, Alexis," said Zane. "Remember that. The heartbreak you hold will spread amongst your friends like a terrible sickness. I know how you feel, and it's awful. But do you want your friends to feel that, too?"

Alexis placed her hand on her chest. "I wouldn't wish this kind of agony on my worst enemy. Thanks, Zane."

"You're welcome. Hey, I think your friends are waiting for you."

"All right, let's go."

Tina, the girl with the dinosaur deck, watched from behind a tree as the two friends crossed the bridge off the small island back to the main one. A flaming blue orb hovered next to her. She looked at it and gulped.

"What did you do to those men?"

The ball hissed.

"No! You promised me you'd only hurt the ones that hurt me."

Again the orb hissed.

"You didn't have to hurt them. You couldn't have just hid yourself or something?" She started to pace back and forth. "This was such a bad idea. I just knew you'd find some way to go back on your promise. My clothes are still in there. What if they find me."

Grrrrr

"You what!? Did you take their souls? Oh no, no. Give it back to them right now!"

Grrrrr-grrrr

"What do you mean you can't? I know you think it's probably tasty, but you swore you wouldn't hurt anyone else. How can I trust you any more?"

"Who are you talking to?" someone said.

Tina gasped and turned around in time to see Alice, Enora, and Farrah standing behind her. "Oh, uh," she said, trying to come up with an excuse. "Well, I, uh. I'm in drama class. Just rehearsing, you know."

"Sounds like a very distressing scene," Enora said. "You don't sound so good, Tina. Is something wrong?"

"Naw, not at all. It's just been a long day is all. Class, homework, practice. Y'all know how it is."

"Who's there?" Alexis called out from the other side of the fountain. "Oh, hey, guys. Where you heading off to?"

"We're going to The Admiral Morgan for dinner," Farrah replied. "You two are welcome to join us."

"Sounds good," said Zane. "I'm in the mood for some seafood. Um, Tina was it? What are you doing in the garden? You know stepping on the grass is against the rules, right?"

"What in tarnation! Since when?" She jumped out of the garden. "Oh, I'm in the dog house now. Wow!" She stood at attention like a soldier when saw Zane. "Oh man, the Kaiser himself giving me a scolding. Nice to meet you by the way."

"Same," Zane replied. And that was that.

"Why don't you join us, Tina?" Alice suggested. "I mean if you're not engaged at the moment."

"Why would y'all want me to tag along?"

"Well, we're teammates, aren't we? I hardly got any time to get to know you. You're always so secluded."

"You weren't always," Enora added. "Are you feeling okay, Tina?"

"Guys, I'm fine really. I guess I've been a little bit of an introvert my whole life. That's kind of why daddy sent me all the way to this place. To improve not only my dueling skills but my people skills. I haven't done a good job of that since last year sadly."

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"Oh, bad grades, losing my cards, stuff like that. But, ever since Enora coaxed me to join the Red Arrows, I've slowly made progress. Oh, enough of that. I'd be honored to join you for dinner. To show my appreciation, it's on me."

"Oh no," said Alexis. "That won't be necessary. Besides food at the Admiral Morgan is very pricey."

Tina laughed. "Hey, y'all forget I'm the daughter of the great Daniel Beauregard." She whipped out a credit card from one of the pockets of her vest and flipped it in her fingers like it was a dagger.

Zane smiled. "Well, the prospect of a free dinner is an ample inducement. How can I refuse? If it won't be any trouble, I'll accept."

"Pfft, you're a real gentleman, Zane," said Alexis.

"Naw, don't worry, Alexis. There's enough money in my personal checking account for us to eat at the Morgan whenever we want."

"Tonight will suffice," said Alexis. "I have plenty of money, too. Don't worry. But thank you for your offer, Tina, that's very sweet."

"All right, what are we waiting for?" said Tina.

"Yes, indeed. I'm starving!" Farrah declared, rubbing her belly.

They went to the food court on the lower levels of the academy which housed a large variety of restaurants for the students to go to. The seafood restaurant, called Admiral Morgan, was at the very end of the one-hundred-yard structure. It was so lavish and so revered, that it had two floors. In fact, Dr. Crowler came here to eat every night. There he was, already in line to the restaurant. Well, cutting through it, actually. Since he was a teacher, he could walk in whenever, and he even had a table bought out for life at the far end of the restaurant.

Alice could see the interior from where she was. The floor at the entrance was made of glass and had an aquarium underneath filled with tropical fish and even nurse sharks. The walls looked like the wooden walls of an old fashioned ship, with nautical decors such as nets, rowboats, and even shark jaws. And the lighting was almost very dim.

"Welcome to The Admiral Morgan," said the waitress. "Oh! Alexis!"

"Angel," Alexis groaned. "What a surprise."

"Yeah, fancy seeing you here."

"You work here, Angel?" Enora asked. "Wow, since when?"

"Since yesterday. I heard about the Megalith monsters getting new support and I have to get those cards. I can't rely on the academy credits since we earn so little when we duel, even if I win. At this rate, the year will be half over by the time I can afford a whole booster box. Also, my Duel Disk is on the fritz. I'm working to buy myself a new one."

"Won't a standard-issue academy disk suffice?" Farrah asked. "They're not that hard to get. Just fill out a requisitions form and pay a small fee and it's yours."

"Are you kidding? Their tech is outdated. The holograms from those things are Duelist Kingdom quality, and that's saying a lot. No. Not good. Plus, I can't customize them."

"If you say so," Farrah said.

"Right. So, how many in your party?"

"Six," said Zane.

"Ah, we've got just the place." Angel picked up a stack of menus and tucked them under her arm. "Follow me."

She led them upstairs to a table with a window shaped like a giant porthole, giving them a view of the ocean at night. Alice was fortunate enough to go in first and get the spot right by it. She looked outside as her friends scooted their way into the booth made of cozy dark red leather and polished wood. The view was breathtaking, to say the least. She saw the moonlight turning the dark waters into a shade of midnight blue, with the white outlines of the foamy waves slowly streaking towards the side of the cliff below them. Up in the sky, the stars were twinkling brilliantly like an endless number of diamonds sewn onto a blanket of black.

"Can we start with drinks?" Angel asked.

All of them ordered water, save for Tina who got a bottle of ice-cold cola. Then it was time for the food. Once the order was filled, Angel left and skipped to the kitchen to get their drinks.

"There it goes again," Alexis said, fixing Alice's bow. "Oh, Alice. Come on girl, try and keep this thing straight."

"Oh, I can't help it," Alice said, finding her fuss to be funny. "Weren't Jaden and the others coming with you?"

Alexis checked her PDA. "I have no idea where they are. I tried messaging them, but no reply. Odds are that some of the girls accepted Jaden's challenge in the gymnasium. After all, he is the kid who beat Crowler. Oh well."

"What a shame," Alice said. She was hoping to dine with him tonight. Every time she had a chance to get to know him and speak on a professional level, he vanished.

"What a view," Farrah said, looking out the window. "And this place is gorgeous. No wonder Father pays through the nose for my tuition here."

"What does he do?" Zane asked.

"He's the ambassador of Egypt. My uncle, the curator of the museum in Cairo, he also had a hand in getting me here."

"You a fan of Egyptology?"

"Love it. I've been on a few digs with my uncle and I always had such a good time. There's nothing more fascinating than delving into ancient ruins. Sometimes when I see those chambers, I imagine myself standing there thousands of years ago. What would have it been like to be there during its prime? Wasn't your father an archeologist as well, Alice?"

"Yes. He was on the expedition to Atlantis with Professor Hawkins. But he lost his life when the chamber he was studying collapsed."

"I'm so sorry," said Enora.

"Thanks. Like Farrah's uncle, Professor Hawkins had a hand in funding my education here. It was quite a surprise to know that he taught here. I had no idea."

"He didn't tell you?" Zane asked.

"No, I guess he wanted to surprise me."

"Well, y'all have some interesting backstories," said Tina.

"And you?" Alice asked.

"Naw, not me. I'm not all for talkin' about my past. I may be the daughter of an American gazillionaire, but my life is far from exciting. I flunked out of every private school daddy sent me to. But, him being an investor for a major dueling league, he decided to buy me a structure deck and get me to duel. Not gonna lie, if it wasn't for dinosaurs, I never would have gotten into the game. My mama dug for stuff from the past too, but her specialty was extinct animals. Dinosaurs and stuff like that. I've always been fascinated with them since I was really small."

"Well, hopefully, you'll find your calling here," said Alexis. "What is this your sophomore year?"

"I'd be a junior this year, Alexis, but some stuff happened last year that caused me to flunk."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking," said Alice.

Tina tipped her hat up, letting a bang fall down the left side of her face. Then she took a long gulp of her soda. "Meh. I hung out with the wrong crowd. But I don't want to talk about it. That's in the past. Hopefully this year I'll get my shot at redemption."

"I saw your duel earlier during your practice," said Zane. "Very impressive. I think you're going to make it through with flying colors. Just watch who you hang out with. One bad influence can lead you down a dark road."

Alice saw Tina grimacing at Zane's words. Perhaps they spoke truly about her past situation. Whoever those 'bad influences' were must have been some terrible people to cause her to fail her school year the way she did. But she smiled. At least Tina was accepting her mistakes, which was more than she could say for most people. There was a heart somewhere deep down in there. She was wrong to misjudge her earlier during practice. Perhaps it was that Souleating Oviraptor of hers that struck her the wrong way.

"Don't worry," Zane continued. "Always stay close to your teammates. Listen to them. Stick by their sides. In time, they'll grow to be your family. You'll be all right."

"Thanks," Tina said, tears bubbling in her beautiful oceanic-blue eyes. Farrah handed her a napkin from the dispenser. Tina took it and wiped her tears and sniffed sadly.

"Hey, it's going to be all right," Alexis said with a soft, soothing, tone. "We all make mistakes. It's part about being human. We'll get you through the school year. I promise. We're going to earn lots of ribbons and trophies."

"Indeed we are," said Enora. "I'm confident in our team this year. I have a feeling we're going to knock the competition out of the park with all of you."

"Well, not if I keep playing the way I did tonight," said Farrah. "That duel was terrible. I really need to fix up my deck. I can't afford to lose. I don't know about the rest of you, but when my father gets mad, I get one hard clout behind the ear."

"Not me," said Alexis. "My mom pulled my ear when I misbehaved or brought home bad grades."

"Ha!" said Tina. "That's nothing. Daddy's got him this huuuge bull hide belt which he uses to tan my butt when I piss him off. When I flunked last year, oof I couldn't sit for a week."

"My nana took care of the spankings when I was young," Enora said with a cheeky grin. "She sure had a firm hand that set me straight. I hate to admit it, but I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for her discipline."

"Sometimes a strict teacher is the best teacher," said Zane. "I can say that about Chancellor Sheppard when he taught me the Cyber Style. The man was relentless when it came to teaching us how to use it. Even the way we draw was something he had to hammer into our heads. The form. It had to be perfect."

"Well, that's a little over the top," said Tina. "Especially for a game."

Zane let out a soft chuckle. "It sure was over the top, but this is more than just a game for me. And I can say that about many others as well. We duel because we want to survive. We want to make it out there in the world. And there's a lot of competition that stands in our way between living on the streets or having a roof over our heads. We have to fight through them all if we want to be at the top of the game."

"Well said, Zane," Enora agreed.

Tina scooted out of the booth. "Oh, hey, can y'all excuse me? I gotta pee."

She left the table and ran into the bathroom. Fortunately, there was no one in there. The lights began to flicker and the fiery orb appeared, hovering in front of her face.

"What do you want?" Tina asked.

_Grrr….Hungry….They are sssstrong._

"No. No, leave them alone! They're good people! You can't make me do this."

_Grrrrr...you will do as I ssssay. Or, I will trap you in the Sssshadow Realm forever. I ssssaved you, remember? Now you belong to me! Do asssss you are told and you will be spared of the consssequencesss_

Tina sighed in defeat and bowed her head. "Yes. I will do as you ask. What will you have me do?"

_Fetch me their sssouls!_


	13. Raring to Go!

_ **Alice** _

She heard a knock at the door, disturbing her from her sleep. Alice rubbed her hand down her face and blinked to get the sleep out of her eyes. The person behind the door knocked again, then her PDA jingled with a text message. Alice checked it and saw that it was from Alexis.

It's me! The message said.

Be right out! Alice replied back.

She tossed her sheets off and put on a gray Duel Academy t-shirt over her underwear before slowly sulking toward the door. She undid the chains and opened it to let Alexis in. Her hair was tied into a long ponytail and she donned a baby blue nightgown, which stuck to her skin, soaked in perspiration. There was a look of great concern on her face, and she was anxiously nibbling on the back of her index finger as she made her way inside.

"What are you doing up so late?" Alice asked. "Our field exams are in the morning."

"I know. I just...I need somebody to talk to."

Alice went to the living room and turned on the window lights to illuminate the darkness beneath the lake before turning on the lamp on the side table next to her sofa where Alexis sat down.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," Alexis said, rubbing her eyes with her palms. "I know it's late, but I —"

"—Oh no, it's fine. You okay?" Alice asked, tugging her shirt down before sitting down on an armchair. "You look really pale."

"No...I'm far from okay."

"Do you want some tea?"

Alexis gave a weak, short, smile, and nodded. "Tea would be great."

Alice got up and scurried to the kitchen to prepare Alexis her drink. "What did you see?" she asked, filling the chrome kettle with water from the sink.

"I had a nightmare," Alexis replied in a low, hoarse, voice. "You remember that monster Tina used at practice yesterday?"

"Yeah, Souleating Oviraptor. That thing gave me the creeps. Why? What happened?"

"I dreamed that I was walking in the abandoned dorm. I...I could hear my brother's voice coming from somewhere in the castle. Soon, his voice vanished and then that...that...thing appeared at the bottom of the stairs. It looked up at me and screeched. Then it started chasing me. Oh, God, I could hear its claws scratching the floor behind me. No matter where I turned or how fast I ran, that monster kept gaining on me and gaining on me and gaining me. Then...I reached this room and opened the door. Tina was standing there wearing a Ra Yellow uniform that was torn and covered in blood."

"Oh my God!" Alice gasped, putting the kettle on the hot stove.

"Yeah. Tina looked at me and said she was sorry. And then I turned and that monster of hers appeared out of the shadows and jumped at me. No surprise, that's when I woke up."

"My goodness. That must have been terrible. You know, I had a bit of a terror myself. It wasn't as dramatic as yours, but I also found myself at the abandoned dorm. I saw a blue light coming from the basement before you woke me."

"Coincidence?" Alexis asked. "Souleating Oviraptor has blue flames. Maybe we're having the same dream. I don't know, Alice, I think there's something up with Tina. She's a nice girl, but I can't help but feel creeped out being in her presence earlier. Something's not right."

"Oh, Alexis, I'm sure we're just stressed out from the exams coming up. Not to mention that monster gave us both quite a scare. I told mom that Solid Vision was too real. I remember when I saw my first monster." She chuckled. "Il Blud."

Alexis laughed. "Oh, you poor thing. I hate that monster."

Alice tugged her shirt down. "Yeah, the creepy face in that monster's suit gave me the terrors for weeks. Like I said, I'm sure it's all stress. I like Tina. Everything is going to be all right."

"I sure hope so. You know Professor Hawkins discovered a lot of dark and disturbing stuff from the past in excavation sites all over the island, right? What if that's connected to all the strange events that have been happening in the abandoned dorm?"

"This isn't about your brother is?" Alice asked as she waited for the water to warm. "Zane messaged me not long after we parted ways after dinner. And he told me not to get coaxed into joining you on any misadventures in the abandoned dorm. I'm going to have to agree with him on that one, Alexis. If anything, I think that nightmare of yours is telling you to stay out of the place."

"I was afraid you'd say that. And I'm not at all surprised Zane told you about my urge to go to the dorm."

"Alexis, you're one of my best friends. That's a treasure you can't find just around the corner. You promised Zane you'd never go anywhere near that place. I want you to promise me the same thing."

"I will don't worry. I just haven't been myself since Farrah told us what happened to that team. I wonder what they were doing there."

"I heard from some other students that a few boys had gone missing. Perhaps the security team was sent to investigate their disappearance there. Of course, there are those who say otherwise. I've heard a lot of things. Pirate nest, addicts with a lab producing Blue Dragon pills, things of that nature. And there are some, like you, who believe something paranormal attacked them. Regardless, it sounds like trouble and it could be dangerous. I won't go, and for the love of God, I hope you don't either."

"I'm not going to coax you into doing something you don't want," Alexis assured her. "Still, I'm a little freaked out about the nightmare. Would it be all right if I spent the night in your room?"

"Of course, I don't mind. You can have the bed, I'll take the sofa."

"Alice..."

"I insist."

The tea kettle started to whistle as it blew out steam. Alice brought out two cups from the cupboard and poured them both tea. They drank it, talked for a while longer, then went to bed at once, both eager for the long and busy day ahead of them.

_ **Jaden** _

After washing his face and dressing into his uniform, Jaden hurried Syrus out the door, annoyed to find him having a strange seance or ritual when he woke up. He had an unsafe number of candles lit on the desk, all of them glowing in front of a poster of Slifer the Sky Dragon. And he had a crown made of Monster Reborn spell cards, some of which were ultra-rare, ticking Jaden off even more.

"You've got to have more faith in yourself pal," Jaden said, closing the door behind them and locking it with the key. "You've gotta be confident."

Syrus whimpered. He sulked forward, arms hanging low. "That's kind of hard to do when you're a guy like me. Wait...hold on. Do you hear that?"

Jaden stopped and listened. Snoring. There was snoring coming from the garden beside their housing. They walked down the stairs and spotted a hammock tied between two palm trees. Evan was there. He was sweating from the humidity and his hands were covered in mosquito bites.

"Evan?" Jaden said. He hurried towards him and woke him up. "Evan! Come on, man, what gives? What are you doing sleeping out here?"

Evan winced with pain. His cheeks were burned from the sun and when he woke, every bite on his body activated at once, showering him with discomfort. "Uh! Oh, man! Sorry, I was hoping to be out of here by the time the sun went up." He rubbed his face. "Ow!" His hand recoiled from it at once.

Syrus went back to the dorm to get some ointment for Evan's burns and his mosquito bites; his arms and legs were covered with them, on the count of him sleeping in his shorts and t-shirt. Trix and Kyros were coming up from the bottom of the hill to see what was the commotion.

"What happened to you?" Trix asked, her blazer was wrapped around her waist.

"Here," Syrus said, handing Evan some aloe for the burns on his cheeks and forehead.

"Thanks, guys," Evan replied. "Well, it's a long story."

"Class doesn't start for a while, my friend," Kyros said. He knelt down and inspected his legs. "Oh, this is really bad. It's a miracle you don't have malaria or something. Trix, baby, do you have anything to remedy this?"

"Yeah, I got some cream for that. Poor little guy. What happened? What made you decided to sleep out here?"

"I was forced to," Evan replied. He was about to scratch himself, but Kyros grabbed his arm and told him to keep still until Trix came back moments later with the cream. She got to work at once.

"You were forced to?" she asked.

"What do you mean forced to?" Syrus asked.

"Well, I won't lie, I was a member of the Red Crusaders and —"

Once Evan said the name of one of the most notorious duel gangs on the island, they all grumbled and even cursed at him in disappointment.

He gasped and waved his hands from side to side so fast they looked like a blur. "It was for a few days, I promise. But after that, I went straight again. Ever since that girl gave me those cards, I went on a whole new direction."

"It doesn't change the fact that you joined them," Jaden said. "You don't join gangs, you just don't. It's wrong."

"I know, and I quit. I returned a lot of the cards they forced me to steal, so now, except for the cards the girl gave me, my deck is back at square one. But Boris and his boys weren't happy about me leaving. They were furious. They somehow locked up my room; I couldn't get in. And as I struggled with the lock, they surrounded me. Fortunately, I'm pretty fast. I was able to get away from them."

"We've got to tell Chancellor Sheppard about this," said Jaden.

"He knows," said Kyros. "But there's not much he can do. This island is big, maybe a little too big, even for CAMP-SEC. They're stretched out pretty thin, now more than ever because a new organization of pirates, smugglers, and what-not are harassing ships and resorts in these waters. As much as he wants to help out the students with this duel gang problem, there are far bigger things on his plate right now."

"I don't buy it," said Syrus. "You mean to tell me a few officers can't just go deal with these gangs?"

"Yeah, really," Jaden agreed. "I get he's trying to protect us from criminals and stuff, but that's no excuse to ignore the duel gang problem, man."

"Campus Security are doing what they do," Kyros replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Providing security for us. Just from bigger, more dangerous threats."

Trix made a clicking sound with her tongue. "Still, this isn't a case of some bully wanting rare cards anymore, Kyros. What Boris and his boys did is downright cruel. The gangs are getting worse. Even Sheppard can't ignore this problem. I'm sure he'll gladly deal with those guys for you, Evan."

"No, it's okay. You know what, I'd rather deal with them myself."

"Not with your skills you can't," Trix said. "Evan, don't play the hero. What those guys did to you is wrong. If they can lock you out of your dorm just to try and beat the crap out of you, who knows what else they're going to do to get their revenge. You need to get some help. Not only that, but I also don't think Boris is keen on dueling to solve his problems anymore."

"No, he's not," Jaden said. "I heard the gang has been suffering some major losses recently, hurting their reputation. They're going to do anything to be feared and respected again. Evan, I'm with Trix on this one. You're going to have to get some professional help to deal with this problem."

"No, I don't. Once I recuperate, I'll get my revenge on them. You'll see. But first, I have to get out of those swamp dorms. And the best way to do that is by winning my duel exam today. We rank up if we do well, right?"

"Don't forget you still have to pass the written exam," Trix replied.

"She's right," said Kyros. "If you fail that, even if you win the match, odds are, you won't get promoted. So for your sake, I hope you studied."

Trix was about to apply her hands with the cream but saw that Evan had way too many bites on his arms. "No way, this is bad. You're going to need more cleaning up. Yeah, you need a shower buddy. A cold one could definitely ease your suffering and will make the cream work better. Not only that, but you also stink, bro."

Evan sniffed his shirt. He almost gagged from the horrible stench.

"You can use the outhouse behind our dorm," Jaden suggested.

"No, he's going to need something better than that," said Kyros. "It's no Obelisk Dorm, but I'm a gold-ranked Slifer, so I have better accommodations and bathrooms than you guys. Come on, Evan. I'll take you to my place. If you're going to play in the duel exams, you're going to have to look, and smell, your best. "

Evan hopped out of the hammock and followed Kyros back to his dorm, which was a lodge perched right on the beach below the cliffs. After that, Jaden zoomed out of the lodge, falling far behind from the others on the count of the meal.

He burped as he ran into the jungle heading for the campus. "Woof," he said. "Man, that Trix sure can cook. No wonder Kyros loves her so much."

Jaden ran so fast he left a trail of dust in his wake. The jungle rushed past him like a giant green blur and the students were flashes of yellow, red, and blue. As he came upon a hill, he noticed a woman struggling with getting her vehicle up the hill. Though she was elderly and short, she had the strength of an ox. Just getting that vehicle to where she was, required a great feat of strength. However, Jaden could see that was weakening and needed some assistance. He broke to a stop and hurried back to the end of the van to help her push. Being late or helping out? Well, not that he cared. He was always late.

"Thank you, thank you," said the woman. "You're so sweet. I'm going to remember this."

"How about next time you remember that extended warranty?" Jaden jested as he pushed the van up the hill.

_**Alice** _

"Why on earth is the Navy here?" Alice asked, watching helicopters swarming around a giant battleship docked at the harbor.

"Because this island is full of brainless lunatics, that's why," Mindy replied, watching them from the railing of a cliff overlooking the harbor. "You won't believe the extremes many of the students here will stoop to just to get the new shipment of rare cards."

Alexis sighed in disgust. "I remember watching the images on the news when it happened. A bunch of students ambushed the supply trucks full of new and rare cards for the store. It kept happening year after year and got worse and worse. They yanked the drivers out, tied them to a tree, then looted the entire caravan. A lot of fights broke out and people got hurt. Not even the guards could hold back the mob. But the straw the broke the camel's back happened a few years ago when some moron decided it would be a good idea to start more chaos by lighting the trucks on fire. If he couldn't get the new cards, then no one would. A lot of students were burned alive when the gas tank exploded. Incidents like that are one of the reasons why Campus Security has been beefed up the way it has. When the new cards come, the students turn into brainless apes, willing to do anything for a chance of getting a rare card."

"You going to get any of the new cards, Alexis?" Jasmine asked.

Alexis crossed her arms over her chest and walked off. "And be stuck in the mob? Forget it. That's what the internet is for. Besides, my deck is just fine. I don't need anything else. Come on. The exams are about to start and we shouldn't waste any time. Especially you, Alice. If your grades drop, expect to be dropped from the team."

"Eeek!" Alice said. At the mere mention of the thought, she sprinted past her friends toward the school. "Can't be late! Can't be late! Can't be late!"

_**Later….** _

"You have an hour to complete the exam," said Professor Lyman Banner, the head of the Slifer Dorm and instructor of the strange art of Duel Alchemy. He was petting his chubby, orange, cat, Pharoah, who was sound asleep in his arms. "Eyes on your own paper. No talking. And PDA's off, please. If it rings, expect your exam to be taken away. You have been warned."

But Syrus already started to drool on his exam. "A counter trap can...An Xyz Monster can summoned by…."

"I didn't know this was an oral exam, Sy," Jaden said.

Syrus woke up at once. "Whoa! You finally made it! I was beginning to worry about you, Jaden. Ugh, I can't seem to stay awake."

"Yeah, maybe getting sleep would be a lot better than having an all-night Slifer seance, eh?"

"Will you two keep it down!" Chazz shouted from above. He stood up and slammed his fists on his paper. "Some of us actually plan to pass this test."

"Oh, well, I plan of passing too. It just doesn't work out for me."

"Oh, Jaden!" Professor Banner called from below. "If you could come down and get your exam, please."

"Uh, right," Jaden said, his face turning as red as his jacket.

Alice tapped her pencil on her paper and shook her head in disappointment. "He's an amazing duelist, but boy is he lazy. He'd probably be here in Blue with us if he put more effort in his studies and took things a little more seriously."

"Shhh," Alexis said at once. "Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll pull off some miracle to get him through this."

"Hmm," Alice replied.

Down below, Tina raised her hand. "Professor. May I use the restroom?"

"Make it quick, Miss Beauregard," said Professor Banner.

Tina flipped her paper over and placed her pencil on top of it. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before making her leave. Alice thought to wave hello, but once Tina passed, the image of burning blue eyes flashed before her eyes. Alice gasped, almost jumping out of her seat.

"What?" Tina asked.

"Wow, what was that?" Alexis whispered.

Tina frowned. "Yeah, really. Did a bug crawl into your knickers or something?"

Alice shook her head and forced a smile. "Nothing, sorry. I just remembered something. Sorry, Tina."

Tina smiled. "All right." She walked up the stairs and left.

Before long, the exam came to an end. Once they were turned in, Professor Banner stood up. "Okay, class, the written exam is over. So please, walk, do not run, to get in line for today's new rare cards. We don't want any repeats of the incident a few years ago so —"

"They're here!" A student cried.

"Oh, dear…"

BAM! The doors all over the school burst open and a wave of red, blue, and yellow surged across the campus. The halls echoed with screams and grunts as the students rushed to the shop to get the cards. But their speed was stopped when a wall of soldiers in heavy riot gear marched into the campus. They bashed batons on their shields and shouted at the students to go down one hallway to the shop in order to prevent any more chaos from ensuing. More entryways were blocked and metal doors were lowered to keep the mob going in one direction.

Outside, Humvees escorted the trucks carrying the new shipment of cards. The soldiers inside grunted in disbelief at the sheer stupidity of their assignment. Even though they were getting paid well for this, seeing the craving and lust these duelists had for some cards was just disturbing.

Some were trying to fight the soldiers in riot gear but to no avail. They held their arms up at the shiny gray trucks and groaned in sorrow as they passed by as if they were fair maidens denying them love.

"Chazz! Chazz!" cried his friends, Taiyou, and Raizou. They ran up the stairs to his seat, where he was still looking over his exam before turning it in.

"Come on, Chazz!" said Raizou. "The new rare cards are here."

"So go fetch," Chazz said.

Meanwhile, Bastion was trying to awaken Syrus and Jaden, who had fallen asleep during the exam, partially finishing it. "You two might want to focus on waking up!" he said. "Come, you two, up and at'em."

Syrus screamed as he bolted out of his seat. "Oh no, I flunked the test, didn't I?" he hung his head in complete shame. "Aww, I'm a failure. A complete loser."

Jaden sniggered as his head was still down on his arms. "Syrus if they had a class for melodrama, you'd be passing for sure."

Syrus looked around, noticing the lecture hall was completely empty. "Hey, where did everyone go?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Bastion said, leaning against the deck. "The new shipment of rare cards came today. Everyone is down at the card shop."

"WHAT!" Syrus shouted. He scratched his head furiously, messing up his hair. "New cards? Why didn't anybody tell us?"

"Because everyone wants the best cards for themselves to use in the upcoming field exams," Bastion replied.

"So why aren't you getting some?" Syrus asked.

Bastion gave a wave of his hand as he walked off. "Please, one errant card and my deck's delicate balance will be thrown off guard. You two better hurry along now. I'll be going to the arena to be paired up with my opponent. Cheerio."

Down in the card shop, the students flooded against the metal shutters of the door and pounded against it. Campus Security soldiers stormed in and pushed them all back, threatening to send any trouble makers to detention, thereby missing out on their cards and their field exam.

"Oh, children!" called out the commanding officer. He casually walked down the hall and behind him were soldiers wheeling in crate after crate of cards. "Looking for these!" he called out. The students cheered and calmed down. The crates. There were so many of them. The CO raised up the shutters and the soldiers with the crates went inside. When the last one went in, he closed it shut. Moments later, he walked out and said: "Come and get 'em!"

The shutters raised open and they stormed into the shop only to find a figure wearing a black, tattered coat and a shady hat. He was greedily pushing a shopping cart full of booster boxes containing the best packs, including the limited edition Gold Series box, leaving the students to have to pick older, more common packs.

"What gives!" shouted a student.

"Who's he?"

"How did he get all those?"

"You know the rules," said Sadie, a clerk from the shop. "First come, first serve."

"And I came first," said the figure, wheeling his cart away with a sneer.

_**Alice** _

After relieving herself in the restroom, Alice walked out to look for Alexis. Before she even made it halfway down the hall, she heard a slam coming from a corridor to the left, followed by disgruntled voices and a sob. Something bad was happening. Alice gasped and hid behind the wall. She peeked over it to see what was going on. About ten feet from where she was, she saw a trio of Obelisk Blue students, four boys, and a pink-haired girl, cornering someone against the wall. There were three more standing with them, but surprisingly, they were from Slifer Red. Alice frowned. She recognized one of them quickly. It was Boris. What was he doing with Obelisk Blue students? She thought he hated them.

When a red-haired Obelisk scooted aside, she saw Tina, clad in her Obelisk Blue uniform. She was cowering against the wall. She had tears in her eyes and her hat was drooping toward the left side of her head.

"I know you had something to do with his disappearance. Now answer me! Where are Lucas and the others?" He kicked a trash can to make a lot of noise so as to intimate Tina.

"I told you I don't know," she sobbed. "I don't know what happened to him or his friends. I had nothing to do with it."

"A lie if I ever heard one!" said the boy who kicked the trash can. He was a suave-looking young man with light green hair tied into a swirled ponytail.

"She is a liar," said Boris. "I remember everything. Lucas and the others took you with them to the abandoned dorm that night. And what do you know, only you came back. You killed them, didn't you? Didn't you?"

No reply. "Answer him, Tina!" shouted the green-haired boy. He kicked the trash can again, causing Tina to recoil in fright.

"I-I-I don't know! I swear to you, I don't know. One minute they were there and the next they were gone. It was like magic."

The green-haired young man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards him. "Magic! A likely story. Tell me the truth, Tina."

She finally caved in. "Yes. Yes, it was me. I did it. I'm sorry. He did so many horrible things."

The boy let go of her hair and pushed her against the wall.

"Well, Blake, you got your culprit," said Boris. "I expect to get paid in full."

Blake looked at Tina. "I knew you were trouble the moment he started dating you, Tina."

"Ha," laughed the pink-haired girl. She walked toward Tina and ran her fingers down her hair. "This old thing? She was probably getting jealous that Lucas was starting to like me more. You didn't like that, did you, Tina? Huh? Didn't like that the mighty Lucas Spartan was beginning to fall for a REAL woman." She grabbed a handful of Tina's hair and pulled on it. "No, you did not, so you got rid of him. Well, now that you've confessed to the crime, it's time to lock you up like the little dog you are."

"Yes, Margaret, you're right," Blake agreed. "Time for Lucas and his buddies to get the justice they deserve. Yo, Marco, get Commander Chevalier on the double. "

"No!" Tina cried out. "No, no, no! Please! I didn't mean it! Please, Blake, don't send me to prison. Don't send me to prison."

"Oof, I don't blame you for being so scared," Margaret said. "I can only imagine what those prisoners are going to do you."

"No, please! I'll do anything." Tina went on her knees and clasped her hands together, making the other laugh. "I'll do anything. Please, don't call the CAMP-SEC. Please."

Blake rubbed his chin. "Anything, eh? All right. And I guess it would be such a waste to send someone as valuable as you to prison. I mean, the gorgeous daughter of a multi-billionaire, and an Obelisk Blue student to boot. We'll start with this. From here on out, you will be my girlfriend. Understand."

"Yes, yes," she said, "yes, yes."

Boris scoffed. "Oh yeah, let her get away with murder because she's hot. You are messed up in the head, you know that?"

Blake ignored him. "Good girl. And you're going to duel your absolute best. No losing. I want you to be the best there is. Lose, even once, and you're worthless to me."

"Blake, I implore you to reconsider this!" Margaret commanded. "Lucas was your friend, was he not? Are you honestly going to defile his memory by letting this creature go free just to be your arm candy?"

Blake sneered. "Free? No, she isn't going to be free. She's mine. And she's going to do what I say for the rest of her miserable life. My home will be her prison. And I am the warden." He grabbed Tina by the cheeks and lifted her head up. "And if she misbehaves, I'll be her judge, jury, and executioner. I promise, Margaret, she's going to pay dearly for what she did."

"So long as I am the one in charge of the inquisition," Margaret said, sliding her glasses back into place. "I want to make her suffer, too. Understand, little dog? You belong to us now. I'm going to make your life a living hell and you're going to like it! Understand?"

"Hey," said Boris. "I was the one who identified her! Don't I get a piece of the action?"

"No," Blake said. "Take your packs and move along. Now! Before I change my mind."

"Argh, you Obelisks are a pain in the ass!" Boris said, sulking away with his group.

"All right, get ready for your field exam, Tina. I expect you at the lodge tonight so we can discuss an agreement with you. A contract if you will."

Tina nodded over and over again. "I'll do anything you ask of me. Just don't send me to jail."

"That all depends on how happy I am with you," said Blake. "You have a field exam to pass, so do pass it, will you?"

Tina stood up. "Okay. Okay."

"Good," Blake slapped her in the butt. He hit her so hard the impact radiated across the halls. "Now get moving."

Tina sadly sulked away as Blake and his friends laughed at her. "Murderer," Margaret said before she followed Blake and his group out of the hall. Alice waited until Tina got away from them to talk to her.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

Tina turned. "Were you listening to that? Oh, God, how much did you hear?"

"Not much," Alice replied. "Just talk of indentured servitude for life. Why? What was that all about, Tina? What did you do to piss them off?"

"Nothing to get yourself involved in, honey. Please, don't worry about those guys. I can take care of them myself."

"You sure about that? It didn't seem like you were putting up much of a fight from where I was standing. Come on, they look like trouble. We've got to get Chancellor Sheppard."

Tina grasped her hard on the wrist. "No! Don't! Please, Alice, you're a sweet girl and you've got a bright future ahead of you. Please, don't get yourself involved in what happened to me. Blake Massimiliano is a guy with powerful connections. Trust me, baby, he knows how to ruin people's lives so please don't get yourself involved. Don't worry about me."

"But Tina…"

"Listen, if you stick your nose in my affairs, don't you ever speak to me again. Understand?"

"I don't like what's going on here!" Alice said, storming past her. "So much injustice and no one is doing anything to stop it."

"No duh!" said Tina. "You think Chancellor Sheppard is the one in power here? He's not. It's the investors. The powerful families that pay to have their kids here. It's money. Money is what rules this damn school, Alice. And if you have money, you can do whatever you want. That's the law here unfortunately."

"Well, it shouldn't be. I thought this was a place to learn and have fun. Instead, I find social hierarchies and corruption everywhere I go. This is so primitive."

"Fun? Alice, I don't know what you think is going on around here, but this is not a place for fun. If you want to have fun, enjoy sitting around at locals or dueling for minimum wage in independent circuits. We're here to be the cream of the crop. Nothing more, nothing less. Remember what Zane said at dinner the other day? We learn here because we want to grow to be the best. We learn here because we need to survive out there. Pro dueling is a gold mine, a trillion-dollar industry. The best players get paid millions and millions to play in the big leagues. Look at Yugi Muto. He's being paid a hundred million dollars a month because he's the world champion. Naturally, everyone is going to be wanting a piece of that action, and they'll be doing anything to get rid of the competition. Anything. Sheppard is a man with a heart of gold, but not even he can say no to a big, fat, check. If you think that we're here to duel and have fun, you're not going to last long here. You at least have a Plan B; you're holographic programming degree. I envy you, Alice. Sadly, not everyone here does. Most of us here, we just duel. It's all we know how to do."

"I blame the likes of Seto Kaiba for the way many of us think in this place. People like him make Duel Monsters sound like life or death. I'm through talking about this. If you say you're fine, very well, you're fine. But know you're not alone, Tina."

"What's going on?" Alexis said approaching them from down the opposite end of the hall. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Alice. Tina, you should be moving along too, don't you think? Is everything all right."

Tina gave Alice a very grim look, to which Alice nodded and said: "Yes, everything is all right. Don't worry. We should get going, right? I think the field exams are starting."

"They already have," said Alexis. "Fortunately you two haven't been called yet. Come on."

Tina and Alice went to get registered for the exam and were assigned to Arena B, where, fortunately, everyone they knew were assigned to duel.

"Look at all these people," Alice said, following Alexis into an arena being flooded with anxious students ready to take their field exam. "I wonder who I'll be paired up against."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Alexis said. She saw Alyssa, Madison, and Kami sitting together on a row not far from where they stood. Alyssa was waving her arms back and forth signaling them to sit beside them. Jasmine and Mindy were on their way down to sit with them as well.

"The gang's all here," Alice chuckled.

It was a bit of a struggle to get to the row, but they finally made it and sat down.

"Oh, look," said Alexis. "Bastion is down there. No surprise he's in the first pairing."

Alice looked at a dueling field three rows to the left side of the arena and saw Bastion up against a fellow Ra Yellow student. The opponent discarded a card to special summon The Tricky, then tributed the monster to summon Trance the Magic Swordsman, a sword-wielding spellcaster with a brilliant royal blue cape and jeweled armor. His attack points read 2600.

On Bastion's side of the field, he had three creatures. One was a Duoterion and the other was a Hyrdogreddon. They were monsters that looked like water made into the form of dinosaurs. However, Bastion's third, most powerful monster, resembled a snakelike dragon made of bright blue water. His ace monster, Water Dragon, a beast with 2800 attack points. Usually, when Bastion summoned it, that was it for his opponents. But his rival was unphased by it.

"You may have dazzled us with your waterworks, nerd," said the opponent, "but they're not good enough to stop me. Watch as I activate the spell, Sorcerous Spell Wall!"

A magical ring formed under his feet and expanded until it covered the field.

"With this card, my spellcasters will gain 300 points during my turn, increasing Trance's attack to 2900. But I'm not done yet, Bastion. I use The Book of Secret Arts, which will increase Trance's attack by a further 300 points, boosting him up to 3200! Now he's more than a match for your Water Dragon!" He cackled. "Don't think I don't see your face-down cards. I use the card, Spell Wall. Now when Trance attacks, you can't activate cards or effects until the end of the damage step. Go, Trance, slay his ace!"

Trance held up two fingers. An orb of light appeared over the tips. He placed the orb on the steel of his long, wide, blade, and then magical runes flashed on the metal. He ran towards Water Dragon and jumped up high with a mighty war call. He slashed the dragon vertically, causing it to explode.

Bastion remained motionless as the field was splashed with what remained of his water dragon. His Life Points went down to 1800.

"So much for the legendary Water Dragon!" boasted the opponent. "I bet that's all you have left, eh, Bastion?"

"I think not!" Bastion declared. He drew. "I activate my face-down card. The spell, Bonding D2O. Now, I tribute from my hand or field two Duoterions and an Oxygeddon to special summon another Water Dragon."

"You have another one? No matter. My Trance is still stronger than it. Go ahead, he's ready to slay another dragon."

"Yes, I do have another Water Dragon in my deck, but this one is far more powerful than the last."

"What?"

"Yes, if you had been paying attention in chemistry, you'll know that D2O is the formula for heavy water! Behold, the mighty Water Dragon Cluster!"

The crowd gasped. The color of the water this water dragon had was darker and thicker. Then, a second head formed out of the dragon's neck. Their burning red eyes flashed in anger.

"Impressive," said the opponent. "But my monster is still stronger."

"Overconfidence," Bastion said with a scoff. "I can't expect anything less from someone with a mind as small as yours. There is more than one way to destroy a monster. I use Raigeki, which will destroy your spellcaster!"

"No!"

"Now, Water Dragon Cluster, attack his Life Points directly!"

The dragons reared their heads up and unleashed a tidal wave that knocked the other Ra Yellow student out of the field.

"They don't call him Wiz Kid for nothing," giggled Mindy. "Wow!" she clapped her hands.

"Oh?" Jasmine said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Bastion has an admirer."

The next duelists for the Obelisk Blue dorm were paired up. The holographic display read: Alice Fenix vs Tina Beauregard

"Oh, dear!" Alice cried out.

"Oh no," whispered Alexis, as Tina got up from her seat.

"Well, looks like we're gonna duel, eh, Alice?" she said. "Come on. I can't wait to test my dinos against your birds."

"Yeah, I guess," Alice replied, trying her best to keep her voice steady and cool.

"Hey, you'll be fine," said Alexis. "Give it all you've got, okay?"

"Yeah. All right." Alice stood up and put on her backpack. "If I'm not back in five minutes, send a search party."

Alexis laughed and Mindy swatted Alice's butt playfully as she passed by and cheered her on. "Gooo, Alice!"

Alice didn't feel all that confident. Tina was a girl who was beginning to rub her the wrong way. First, that dinosaur of hers, haunting her nightmares, then the Obelisk students, even Boris, calling her out for some foul deed. She wished she wasn't for far away from where they were so she could hear them. It certainly didn't help that her fiery mane of hair muffled the sounds. To make matters worse, she was going to play in front of all these students, many of whom were comparing her to her sister. No doubt they all were holding high expectations of her.

Alice watched as Tina took off her backpack. The pink and baby blue streaks in her honey-colored hair seemed to glow brightly in the sunlight that streamed down from the glass dome of the arena.

"Y'all ready, Alice? Show me what you've got."

"Very well," Alice said. She put on her duel disk and the match began. "I'll go first."

"Well, sure, go on ahead."

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"Thank you. First, I use Pot of Greed to add two cards. Next, I play, Preperperation of Rights. Now, I add a ritual spell and a ritual monster to my hand. Now, I play, not one, but two Rebirth of Nephtys cards. Appear, Devotee of Nephtys and Cerulean Sacred Phoenix Nephthys."

The other students cheered and some even whistled, especially for Devotee of Nephthys. Not only was she lovely to look at, but she summoned the regular Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys with a quick prayer. Though she was destroyed at the end of the turn, it still didn't change the fact that Alice already had two of her best monsters out on the field.

"Impressive," Madison said.

"She's good alright," said Alexis. "Let's see how Tina can bounce back from this."

**Turn 2**

"My turn. I draw. Oof, Alice. I'm sorry I have to do this to ya, baby. All right, first, I use my own Pot of Greed. Quite handy, eh? Oh, man." Tina bit her glossy bottom lip. This is gonna break her heart. But I've got to do what I've got to do. Hopefully, this will show her to take things a little more seriously here. "Okay, Alice. From my hand, I tribute Miscellaneosaurus, a fire monster, and Petiteranadon, to special summon True King Agnimazud, the Vanisher!"

"Oh no!" Alexis cried. "Already!"

A pillar of fire emerged from behind Tina and revealed a black wyrm with red parts underneath dark gray and it had four distinctive wings. On top, they were angelic and feathered, while the lower ones were dragonic and vile.

**ATK/2900 DEF/1900**

"Petiterandadon's effect activates," Tina continued. "When this little cutie is sent to the graveyard, I can special summon a level four dinosaur from my deck. Appear, Souleating Oviraptor!"

Upon saying its name, Alice felt cold. Alexis as well. A burst of blue flames snapped in front of Tina. The creature appeared as it did in Alexis's nightmare. She was so frightened that she covered her eyes. She felt like it was going to run up the stands and finish what it started in the dream.

"I activate my monster's effect," Tina said. "I will add a dinosaur to my hand. Animadorned Archosaur! But he'll come out later. Next, I tribute from my hand, Giant Rex and another True King Agnimazud to special summon True King Lithosagym, the Disaster!"

Suddenly a white tornado formed over their field, and from it emerged a wyrm with a wolf-like head and body. Like Agnimazud, this True King had four wings, one pair was white and feathered, and the other was dragon-like and evil.

**ATK/2500 DEF/2300**

Alice felt so small looking at those giant kaiju-sized beasts. But they were soon teleported into the Overlay Network. She watched as Tina stacked her two monsters on top of each other and summoned the darkest monster in her deck.

"I Xyz Summon, True King of All Calamities!" she declared.

The monster she summoned stood all the way to the glass dome, hundreds of feet high above the of the playing fields. Its body was black and purple and it had the pairs of angelic and dragonic wings.

**ATK/3000 DEF/3000**

"Remember my jeweled monster?" Tina asked. "Archosaur! Come on out, baby!" She placed the card on the holographic sword-shaped blade of her duel disk. She summoned what looked like a species of prehistoric alligator with a body made of sphere-shaped gems, colored blue on top and yellow on the bottom. The sunlight made him glimmer brightly.

"What do you think, Alice? Isn't he cute? Well, now I activate his effect. I tribute Souleating Ovirtaptor to add Double Evolution Pill to my hand."

"Ugh, poor Alice, it's over," said Alyssa.

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked.

"When she uses Double Evolution Pill," Madison explained, "she can banish from her field or graveyard a dinosaur and a non-dinosaur monster to special summon any high-level dinosaur from her deck ignoring its summoning conditions."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Alexis cried. "What!? That's one powerful card."

Kami adjusted the ribbons in her hair. "And knowing Tina Beauregard, she's going to summon her ace. Ultimate Conductor Tyranno."

Purple bolts of lightning shot out from the ground and then formed into the forty-foot tall thunder god, whose black armored body was covered with purple orbs. It took a massive step forward, shaking the ground.

**ATK/3500 DEF/3200**

"I told you, Alice, you've got a lot to learn about this game. You can't just rely on your Phoenix's to get you far. Sorry, it had to be me to ruin your winning streak."

"You mean it's over? But how?"

"I'll show you how. First, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno destroys a monster to activate its effect."

Ultimate Conductor Tyranno roared, forcing Alice's Sacred Phoenix monsters to flip face-down in defense mode.

"And that's not all he can do. The big guy can attack every monster you have. And when he destroys your monsters in defense mode, he can inflict 1000 points of damage to your Life Points. Now, from my graveyard, I activate Miscellaneousaurus's effect. I banish four dinos from my grave and special summon a friend who just hates saying goodbye. Souleating Oviraptor!"

Alice started to shiver once the nightmarish creature reappeared. It hissed then added a card from Tina's deck to her hand. "It's another Miscellaneousaurus," she said. "And I'll send it to the graveyard to activate its effect. Now, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno, attack!"

"Oh no, Alice!" Alexis cried out.

"From my hand, I discard Sphere Kuriboh!" said Alice. "Now, it will switch your —"

"Don't count on it, honey. Remember when I discarded Miscellaneousaurus? Well, when I do that, my dinosaurs are spared from your effects. Your Sphere Kuriboh's been wasted."

"No!"

Ultimate Conductor Tyranno unleashed a powerful lightning storm. The bolts struck the two Sacred Phoenixes and dealt 2000 damage to Alice. She screamed as the bolts surged up her body. She fell on one knee before True King of All Calamities bathed her in green and black fire. She felt herself getting pushed back and she flew across the field, landing on her back, where she slid a couple of feet before coming to a stop.

"She lost," Alexis whispered sadly.

The holograms disappeared as Tina sprinted across the field to help up her teammate. "You good there, Fenix?"

"Yeah," Alice replied as she struggled to get back up. "One-turn-kill? Seriously? Wow. That was brutal."

Tina brushed the dust off Alice's uniform. "Well, like I said, if you think Duel Monsters is all fun and games, you ain't gonna last long here. Keep losing and they'll demote you, you know that, right?"

"I guess," said Alice. "Well, it looks like my deck needs some fixing up. I'll be sure to kick your butt next time."

They clasped their hands together. "I look forward to that, Alice. Oh, hey, there's your peeping tom pal over there."

Alice turned. She saw Evan taking his place in the field not far from theirs.

"Hah! Can't wait to see that pervert get creamed. Come on, let's take our seats and watch the show."

Alice said nothing but followed Tina back to their seats above the arena. As she scooted to her seat by Alice, she noticed everyone staring at her. Some guys up above were even sniggering. "See, just because Sara Fenix is her sister, doesn't mean she's good. I told you she got lucky."

"Shut up!" Alexis said to them. "Come on, honey, sit down. Don't listen to them." Saying nothing, she reached over and fixed Alice's bow. "Damn, Tina, don't you think that was a little overkill?"

Tina sat down. "Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"I guess, but damn. I hope Enora's notion to increase the Life Point count to 6000 passes. Nobody stands a chance against a deck like yours."

"Yeah, well, I guess that means we can say dorks like Evan suffer a little longer, right?" Mindy said.

Alice drank some water and watched as Evan and his opponent, a purple-haired boy with gold glasses named Hektor started their duel.

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"You go first," said the purple-haired boy, whose name was Hektor. He had an annoying, scratchy voice, and his huge, gold, glasses made him look horribly unappealing.

"All right, I will go first, Hektor!" Evan declared. "I have just what I need for a Pendulum Summon."

"Oh, do you?"

"That's right! I set the scales with Dragoons of Draconia and Flash Knight!"

**(Scale 2 and 7)**

"Perfect! Now, I Pendulum Summon, Kanan the Swordmistress and Obnoxious Celtic Guard!"

The monster appeared out of glowing orbs. They landed on the field in front of Evan.

"Yes! Now, I Overlay Kanan the Swordmistress and Obnoxious Celtic Guard to Xyz Summon, Number 44: Sky Pegasus!"

The winged, mechanical stallion galloped out of the sky and landed beside Evan. Many of the girls in the arena squealed with delight.

**ATK/1800 DEF/1600**

"Love the card, hate him," said Jasmine.

"All right, I set a card face down. That ends my turn."

**Turn 2**

"Oh dear, your big, scary, Number Monster is too much for me to handle," Hektor said, trying to sound scared. "Oh, dear. I summon a monster in defense mode. And that'll do it for me." He faked sounding like he was crying.

**Turn 3**

"Really? Ha, this is going to end quickly. All right, Sky Pegasus, attack his face-down monster."

Sky Pegasus reared up on its hind legs and flew up above the field. It hovered under the glass dome and used its glass wings to absorb the sunlight, creating a powerful beam of energy that incinerated a grasshopper monster Hektor was using to defend himself with.

"Ha!" he said. "You attacked my Pinch Hopper. And when he gets destroyed, I can summon an insect monster from my hand. Behold, Hundred-Footed Horror!"

The ground behind him burst and out came a giant centipede with a red cartoony face. His yellow eyes were yellow and triangle-shaped, displaying his fury. The first two legs in his body were actually two muscular arms with spiked armbands. He snapped his sextuple mandibles, each of them making a loud, terrifying snapping sound.

**ATK/2600 DEF/1300**

"Oh, that's not good!" Evan cried. "Not good. Not good at all. I activate my Dragoon's effect. When one of my monsters destroys yours in battle, I can add a Level 4 monster to my hand. Next, I set a card face down. That ends my turn."

**Turn 4**

"Thought it was going to be easy, eh, Evan? Ha! I'll show you. Now, I banish the Pinch Hopper in my graveyard to special summon Aztekipede, the Worm Warrior!"

BAM! Again the ground exploded from behind Hektor. It was another giant centipede, colored green with Aztec symbols carved along the plates of his back armor. It had four ruby-red eyes and was equipped with bladed mandibles on each side of its mouth.

**ATK/1900 DEF/400**

"And I'm not through yet. I activate the spell, Graceful Charity! For the cost of two cards, I can add three to my hand. Oh, this won't do at all. I use Card Destruction. Thanks to this card, we must discard our hands and draw the same number of cards we had before. As they say: With a new hand, comes a whole new perspective. Truer words have never been spoken. Now, I banish two more insects from my graveyard to special summon the might Doom Dozer!"

The ground shook and another giant centipede burrowed from out of the ground. Its body had the same appearance as Aztekipede, except it was bulkier and had four mandibles colored black on top and pink and red on the bottom.

**ATK/2800 DEF/2600**

"This is the end for you, Evan! Doom Dozer, attack his Sky Pegasus!"

The centipede roared and burrowed underground. Seconds later, it appeared, right under Sky Pegasus's feet. It rose up, carrying Evan's most treasured monster in its mandibles all the way up to the glass dome where it crushed the winged stallion.

"Oh no! My Sky Pegasus!" Evan shrieked. "He's gone."

**LP 3000**

Hektor let out a series of annoying, croaking laughs and snorts. "Yes. And since my Doom Dozer inflicted battle damage to your Life Points, you must send the top card of your deck to the graveyard."

Evan did just that.

"I can't believe your sister is the great Elizabeth Blackburn. Why it's no wonder she refuses to talk about you. You're just the absolute worst. Now, you're wide open for a direct attack, Evan. Hundred-Legged Horror, attack Evan directly!"

Evan halted the attack before the centipede could start digging.

"Hold on!" Evan declared. "I activated my trap, Counter Gate. If you attack me directly, I can stop your attack and draw a card. And if it's a monster, then I can summon it." He placed his fingers on the card. "Draw! Yes! Valkyrian Knight! Go!"

"Wow," said Alice. "That was one lucky draw."

"Yeah, I'll say," said Alyssa. "That guy has definitely improved."

"It's too early to claim such a thing," said Madison. "Luck is not skill, remember that. His Valkyrian Knight is impressive but just look at that icky kid's field. He has three giant heavy hitters. And from what I gather, his Sky Pegasus was his best card. There's no way he's going to win now."

Evan sighed with relief and drew. His face immediately lit up. "Ah, another one of my Flash Knights. And I have my knight on the field. I think I can use these to summon that other monster Pricilla gave me. I just hope this works. Okay, Hektor, you've bugged me long enough."

"Oh, for God's sake," Alice said. "He sucks at making puns."

"Yeah, I summon Flash Knight! Now, I Overlay him and Valkyrian Knight to create the mighty Comics Hero King Arthur!"

Evan summoned a tall armored warrior suited up in white and gold armor. Long, brown hair flowed down from his helmet to his back and he carried a giant sword with two hands.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1200**

"He has another one!" gasped Alice. "Wow, is this really the scrub who used that terrible vanilla deck a week ago?"

"Believe it or not, that's him," said Alexis. "Wow. I hate to admit it, but Evan's fascinating me right now with his improvement. I guess that duel he had with Zane did wonders for him."

"Still," said Madison, ever so negative. "Hektor still has two monsters that are far stronger than that Comics Hero of his. He's not going to win this."

"Attack his Aztekipede!" Evan commanded.

The king jumped up high and then sliced his sword down the giant bug's body, cutting it in half and dealing 500 damage to Hektor.

**Evan 3000 LP**

**Hektor 3500 LP**

**Turn 5**

"That's it! You're toast, Evan! Grr! I attack your Comics Hero with Doom Dozer!"

"See, what did I tell you," Madison said. "Don't celebrate too early."

"I activate my Comic Hero King Arthur's effect!" declared Evan.

Alexis chuckled. "Maybe you should learn that lesson yourself, Madison. Looks like Evan has things under control."

Evan removed an Xyz Material from Comic's Hero King Arthur and it boosted his attack by 500, making him stand at a strong 2900 attack points. He was strong enough to hold back Doom Dozer's attack. He dodged the giant bug's attack with a graceful leap, then slashed its head off with one swipe. On top of getting a power bonus, Comics Hero King Arthur could also deal 500 damage to Hektor's Life Points. He snapped his fingers and a blue fireball flew from the sky, striking Hektor and reducing his Life Points to 2900. Since Comics Hero King Arthur destroyed a monster, Evan added a Level 4 monster to his hand.

"Ugh...oh no!" Hektor cried.

**Turn 6**

"And I'm not done yet," Evan boldly declared. "Now, I activate the scales once more. I Pendulum Summon Axe Raider and Flash Knight. Next, I attack your last centipede with Comics Hero King Arthur!"

The warrior king sliced off the giant bug's head and dealt 300 damage. Then, Flash Knight and Axe Raider charged and finished him off for good.

"I did it! I won!" Evan cried. "Yes! Yes!"

Alice shrugged and smile. "Well, what do you know." She slowly and quietly gave a clap for his victory.

Professor Banner approached and shook Evan's hand. "Congratulations, Evan Blackburn," he said. "Not only have you brought up your grades within these past few days, but your dueling skills have improved greatly. Evan, it is with great pleasure that I rank you up from Slifer - Bronze to Silver."

"Wow! Thank you!" Evan said as Professor Banner removed the bronze coat of arms from Evan's blazer and replaced it with a shiny silver one. "Congratulations."

Evan carried a big grin after that. This was the first time in his life that he had ever heard thunderous applause just for him. He climbed up the steps back to his seat so he could watch more duels.

"Hey, Evan," someone said.

Evan turned. "Oh, uh, Alice."

She smiled. "That was pretty cool, Evan. Congratulations."

Evan blushed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. Not only was Alice looking at him, but so was Alexis Rhodes and a whole row of Obelisk Blue girls. "Well, I, uh, thanks, Alice. Look, I...I'm sorry for what I did when we first met. I was...I was a jerk. Can you ever forgive me?"

Alice pursed her lips. "Well, I guess I overreacted a little….Okay, maybe a lot. It's not your fault Kaiba Corp decided to make holograms that can create wind."

"So we're cool?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah, we're cool."

"Thanks, Alice, that means a lot. Are you hungry?"

"Why do you ask? You're not asking me out to lunch are you?"

Evan laughed apprehensively and waved his hands around. "No, no, no, nothing like that. I just have a granola bar in my pack. Want one?"

"No thanks. I don't like granola bars. They make me bloaty."

"I'll take it!" Jasmine said with a wave of her arm. Evan threw it at her and she caught it with ease. "Thanks!"

"Well, it's good talking to you again, Alice. Hopefully, I'll see you around, huh?"

"Yeah, see you around, Evan."

_**Chazz** _

"And then some guy dressed in some weird get-up just took all the best cards away," said Taiyou. "And I mean all of them. He left us the common packs."

Raizou nodded. "Yeah, we couldn't get you any rare cards, sorry about that Chazz."

Chazz stopped and looked out the window at the ocean to calm himself down. "Whatever. It's not as sorry as you two! Well, you know what? It doesn't matter. Because no matter what card they've got, they can't beat me."

"Unless it's Jaden Yuki!" the cloaked figure said, standing at the top of a glass stairwell.

"Who are you?" said Chazz.

"Oh, just someone who despises Jaden as much as I do," the figure said.

"It's him!" cried Taiyou. "That's the sticky fingers who took all the rare cards."

"What rare cards?" cackled the figure. "Oh, you mean THESE rare cards?" He opened his cloak. Hanging from it from top to bottom where all the rarest and strongest cards from the new shipment.

"Wow!" Raizou and Taiyou said.

The figure cackled again. "What's the matter, Chazz? Don't recognize me? Well, how about now?"

The figure ripped off his cloak to reveal himself.

"It's Crowler!" Chazz's friends cried out in unison.

"What's the deal, Crowler? Why do you have all those cards?" Chazz asked.

"Well, I have a plan that will make us all happy. And it will make Jaden Yuki look like the third-rate duelist he really is! I want you to be his opponent in today's field exam, Chazz, and you are going to use all these rare cards to beat him!"

"But we're not even in the same dorm," Chazz said. "They won't let me be his test opponent."

"They?" Crowler laughed. "I'm they. I'll make it happen. And you just make sure that you use all of these rare cards to put Jaden Yuki in place in front of the whole academy!"

_**Jaden** _

"What! I'm dueling an Obelisk?"

Dr. Crowler paced in between them. "That's right, Jaden. Since you always talk a big game, I pulled some strings to get you the challenge you deserve." He pointed at Chazz. "So congratulations! You get to face Chazz Princeton, one of the top students in the school. What an honor. I certainly hope you were able to snatch some of today's rare cards so your deck is up to snuff."

Jaden said nothing.

"Ooooh," cooed Crowler. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to thank me?"

"Only an idiot would accept this duel," Alice said. "It's so obvious that Crowler set this whole thing up."

"Well, this is Jaden we're talking about," Alexis said.

"I'll do it!" Jaden proudly declared.

Alexis sighed. "I rest my case."

Jaden put on his duel disk and turned it on. "Get your game on, Chazz!"

"Bring it on, Slifer Slacker!"

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"No interruptions this time, Chazz!" Jaden drew. "All right, first up, I'm summoning a monster in defense mode. That's all for me."

"How lame," Chazz responded.

**Turn 2**

"First, I activate the spell card, Magical Mallet! Think of it a mulligan of sorts, Jaden. With this spell, I can shuffle any number of cards from my hand to my deck and draw that amount." He shuffled three cards back into his deck and drew three cards. Now, I summon X-Head Cannon!"

Chazz summoned a legless robot whose body was colored blue and yellow. The sunlight flashed against its sleek coat of paint, almost blinding Jaden. Its red eyes had a fiery glow and it had two cannons mounted on its shoulders.

**ATK/1800 DEF/1500**

"Now," Chazz continued. "I activate the field spell Union Hangar! With this card, I add a Light machine monster to my hand. Next, I activate the spell, Frontline Base! Thanks to this card, I'm allowed to special summon a level 4 Union Monster from my hand. Here comes Y-Dragon Head!"

A red robotic dragon flew out of the card and soared in circles above the arena before landing in front of Chazz.

**ATK/1500 DEF/1600**

"Perfect, now Union Hangar comes into play. Thanks to this card, when a Light attribute machine Union monster is summoned, I can equip it with another light union machine. Here it comes, Jaden. I equip X-Head Cannon with Z-Metal Tank!"

"Oh no!" Bastion cried out from his seat. "He has it! He has assembled the monster already!"

"Now the pieces are in play, Slifer Slacker. I combine my monsters together to create XYZ- Dragon Cannon!"

The three machines combined. Y-Dragon Head formed the middle and Z-Metal Tank formed the legs. Then, X-Head Cannon was the upper body.

**ATK/2800 DEF/2600**

"Now, Dragon Cannon, attack his monster!"

The dragon head at the center opened its mouth, which acted as a gauss cannon. It destroyed Jaden's Elemental HERO Clayman. He grunted and shattered to pieces.

"Ugh, sorry, Clayman."

"That ends my turn, Slacker. Your move."

**Turn 2**

"Not much I can do against that thing," said Jaden. "All I can do is gon the defensive until I can figure out a way to take out your machine. First, I activate the spell Unexpected Dai! When you have a monster out and I don't I can special summon a Level 4 or lower normal monster from my deck. Here comes Elemental HERO Voltic in defense mode. Next, I summon another monster in defense mode. Then, I'm gonna throw down a face down and end my turn."

**Turn 3**

"Yeah, that really is all you can do slacker. But I've still got much more up my sleeve. Draw! Aw, man, this was just too easy. Looks like I'm going to be taking you down much quicker than I thought, Jaden."

"How do you figure that?"

"With his. Card of Sanctity. Now, we can draw until we have six cards in our hands."

"Chazz is amazing," Madison swooned as her cheeks flushed pink. "Wow!"

"Now, I summon B-Buster Drake!" Chazz shouted.

He smacked the card on his duel disk, summoning a green and yellow mechanical dragon with twin laser cannons mounted on its back. It snarled as its eyes illuminated brightly.

"Look, another one of those monsters!" Alice cried.

"And I have a feeling he's going to bring out more," said Alexis. "He's going to summon their ultimate form. Not this fast? There's no way!"

"This is Chazz Princeton we're talking about," Madison said with a sneer. "He can do anything."

"Oh, this is it for you, Slifer Slacker!" Chazz cried out. "Thanks to Union Hangar, I can equip a Light union machine to my monster from my deck. Here's A-Assault Core. And now, thanks to Frontline Base, I can summon this — C-Crush Wyvern!"

The crowd went restless. Chazz's skills combined with those cards...the odds were against Jaden now.

"I combine A-Assault Core, B-Buster Drake, and C-Crush Wyvern to create the ABC-Dragon Buster!" The monster's bodies folded or detached to form into a tank with two dragon heads and powerful laser cannons. "And I'm not stopping there, Jaden! Now that I have ABC and XYZ together, I can combine them to make the ultimate union!"

"That's...not good," Jaden stuttered.

Chazz laughed as the machines disassembled and then formed to make an even more powerful machine. "Yes! I've done it! Behold A-Z Dragon Buster Cannon!"

**ATK/4000 DEF/4000**

"A through Z?" Alice gasped. "Oh my! Look at those attack points. They're at the top of the charts!"

"And I've got much more in store for you, Jaden. I activate the spell, Extra-Foolish Burial. Now, at the cost of half my Life Points, I can send a monster from my extra deck to my graveyard. But he won't stay there for long. I activate the equip spell, Dimensional Catapult! This rare card is designed to bring back one very powerful machine from my graveyard. Revive! VWYXZ- Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

Crowler, watching from an observatory above the arena started laughing like a maniac once he saw the second combined form of the A-Z monsters. He had his hands and face pressed against the wall. He couldn't believe it. This was it! He was finally going to get his revenge. And in such great style, too. Two rare and powerful monsters taking Jaden out in front of the entire school. It was just too perfect.

"Now, my Dimensional Catapult may negate all of my Dragon Catapult Cannon's effects, but it makes up for it with the power of piercing damage. And in case you haven't been doing your homework, piercing damage means I can inflict damage to your Life Points even if your monsters are in defense mode."

"Augh," Jaden croaked. Though in high spirits and usually enjoying himself in a duel, he was at a loss for words. To make matters worse, this was Chazz he was up against. Even he started to feel some resentment towards him after everything he's done to him and Syrus since first setting foot at the academy.

He could only watch as VWYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon blasted Voltic. With his piercing effect, Jaden lost 1500 Life Points. Then, A-Z Dragon Buster Cannon attacked, vanquishing Elemental HERO Ocean.

"He's...so strong..." Jaden said through his gritted teeth.

Chazz laughed and waited for the dust to settle to set a card face-down and end his turn.

**Jaden 2600 LP**

**Chazz 2000 LP**

**Turn 4**

"I told you, Jaden. You never belonged here. And now, I'm gonna prove it in front of the whole school!"

"Yeah, keep mouthing off, Chazz, I've got a whole deck full of vicious monsters just itching to take you down!" He looked at his hands. Damn. Even with the help from Chazz's Card of Sanctity, Jaden had nothing but Elemental HEROES in his hand. He had no spells to combine them. No traps to defend himself with. Well, at least he wanted to make it seem that way.

"It all rides on this draw," Jaden whispered. "Here goes something." He swiped the card off the top of his deck. "Aw, sweet! I think I drew just the card to turn this game around. I use Pot of..."

"Sorry, Jaden, but my Dragon Buster Cannon's effect activates! I can discard a card and negate the activation of any of your card effects and destroy them. Sorry, but you won't be drawing anything.

"Jaden..." Alice whispered.

"All right, Chazz! If that's how you want to play. I summon Keeper of Dragonic Magic in attack mode!"

Jaden's blue-armored knight jumped out of a magical hexagram and spun his staff around. "Thanks to this guy, I can discard a card from my hand and add a 'Fusion' spell to my hand. And here it is! The spell, Double Fusion!"

"What the? Where did you get a card like that?" Chazz cried out.

"Meh, I just have a soft spot for old ladies," Jaden said with a shrug. "Now here's how Double Fusion works. I pay 500 Life Points and then, I'm allowed to conduct two fusion summons so long as I send the appropriate materials from my hand or field to the graveyard. First, I combine Elemental HERO Burstinatrix and Sparkman to create, Elemental HERO Grandmerge!"

Burstinatrix and Sparkman jumped into a spiral and their essences fused together to create Grandmerge. His attack was equal to the combined levels of Burstinatrix and Sparkman times 300, therefore making his attack 2100.

"Now, I fuse together Elemental HERO Flash and Elemental HERO Avian to create the one and only, Elemental HERO Great Tornado!"

A tornado formed in front of Jaden and then it dispersed when the Elemental HERO burst out with a punch. The Slifers were getting ecstatic. They knew what Elemental HERO Great Tornado did. With his special effect, he cut Chazz's monsters' ATK in half. And Chazz didn't have any cards in his hand to discard so he could activate A-Z's effect. The trap earlier. Shit! He felt so foolish. It would do him no good now, either. It was a Dust Tornado card, which he hoped to use in case Jaden played any face-downs to stop his monster's attacks.

**V-Z ATK/1500**

**A-Z ATK/2000**

Grandmerge flew towards V-Z Catapult Cannon, punching him so hard, he fell to pieces and exploded. Chazz's Life Points dropped to 3400. Now, Elemental HERO Grandmerge's effect activates. I can sacrifice him to fusion summon an Elemental HERO. Remember this guy, Chazz? Elemental HERO Terra Firma!"

"NO! NOT HIM!"

Terra Firma formed from the life force of Grandmerge. He glared at Chazz, ready to continue where he left off when Jaden and Chazz first dueled. But first, Great Tornado soared toward A-Z Dragon Buster Cannon and destroyed it with a single punch. Chazz yelled as debris fell all around him and his Life Points went down to 2600.

"This is it, Chazz. With no monsters left to defend you, Terra Firma's going to finish what we started back in the jungle arena. But his attack seems a little low to take you out this turn, don't you think? So, I'll use Terra Firma's effect and tribute Elemental HERO Great Tornado, increasing Terra Firma's attack points by Great Tornado's attack!"

Great Tornado turned into an aura a green light, which floated towards Terra Firma, enveloping him. Then he removed the handles of his energy blades from his shoulders. The activated, giving off a low, metallic, humming sound.

**ATK/5300**

Terra Firma lunged forward and slashed Chazz across the stomach. He was flung across the field and landed on his back. His Life Point counter went down to 0 and the crowd cheered.

"That's Game!" Jaden declared, giving off his signature salute. "Unless you want to duel again."

"Oh, we will," Chazz said, sulking away. "We will!"

"Yes! Yes!" Syrus cried out from the stands. "Wooo! That's my friend!"

"Impossible," Dr. Crowler stuttered. "No...but...but...how? Chazz can't lose. Not with all those rare cards I gave him."

Chancellor Sheppard looked at him. "Hmm? What are you talking about, Crowler? What rare cards?"

Crowler bit his lip. "Uh...nothing sir. Nothing at all."

He stormed away from the observatory, muttering all sorts of foul things under his breath. Chancellor Sheppard couldn't help but laugh at him. Too long had he endured Crowler's constant pandering for the Obelisk Blue dorm. After today, he was glad to see that someone could finally shut him up. And that someone was a Slifer Red student. He leaned forward towards a microphone.

"Well done, Jaden Yuki," he said. "Not in the history of our revered academy has an Obelisk ever dueled a Slifer in these exams. Jaden, not only did you hold your own in the duel, but you won! Your courage against overwhelming odds is...inspiring. It is with great pleasure that I upgrade you in rank. Congratulations, Jaden, you are now promoted to Ra Yellow!"

The other students cheered. Alice jumped out of her seat and clapped. That meant Jaden was closer to joining them at their dorm. She had a mind to go down there and speak to him, but naturally, his group had beaten her to him. Evan, Chumley, Bastion, Syrus, they all came down and embraced him as a rain of blue, yellow, and red confetti fell from the ceiling.

_**Alice** _

She jumped as high as she could and spiked the ball with everything she had, sending it flying over the net. Mindy dove to the left, trying to keep it from hitting the sand in their field. She smacked against the sand and missed the ball.

Enora, Farrah, Alexis, and Tina cheered, high-fiving each other. That was the winning point of the game. Alison jumped up and down, then playfully teased Mindy, Jasmine, Alyssa, Madison, and Kylie.

Alice fixed the back of her bikini and joined her friends in the victory huddle. The exams were over, the weekend was here, and the great group of friends decided to spend the rest of the day on a secluded beach, which required a twenty-minute trek across the jungle.

They had a campfire going and had a small table set with food and drinks.

"Come on!" cried Madison as she clapped her hands. "One more game. We're gonna cream you this time!"

"We call the next game!" Kami said, rubbing suntan lotion on Wisteria's shoulders.

"Dibs on the team with Alexis!" Angel declared.

Tina fixed her hair and looked at Alice. Despite having a good time, she still had a glum look on her face.

She placed her hand on Alice's shoulder and asked: "Are you okay, baby?"

Alice tried to smile. "Yeah. I'm all right. Just a little glum about the duel is all."

"Hey, it's a lesson for you to learn. Your deck is good but it still needs some fixing up. But... I can't help but get the feeling that it's not the only thing that's bothering you."

"Well, it's that whole situation with those other students I saw you in. Are you sure everything is okay, Tina?"

"Alice. Don't worry. Those guys are going to be an afterthought in no time." She tapped Alice's nose. "Now, keep your chin up and have some fun. Okay?"

"Just promise me you're going to be okay, Tina."

"It's a promise. Now come on. Let's go kick their butts."

Madison clapped her hands again to get them moving. "Winners are the volleyball champs!" She called out.

"Yeah, and the losers swim in the ocean butt-naked!" Farrah countered.

Angel raised her hand. "Nevermind. I'll side with the team against Alexis!"

They all laughed and continued to play until the sun went down. When it was dark, they gathered around the fire with bottles of soda. They raised them high and gave a toast for Duel Academy.

_**Evan** _

Finally, Evan was free of the swamp dorm. Now, he could live comfortably in the coastal dorms with Jaden and the others. They had gathered around a fire roasting hot dogs, he Syrus, Jaden, Chumley, Kyros, and Trix.

"Am I late?" Bishop asked, arriving in time with a fresh pack of hot dogs and marshmallows.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Trix. "That's just you always trying to make an entrance."

"Well, you know me. Congratulations on passing your tryout, Trix. A Red Arrow. You must be proud, Kyros."

Kyros leaned over and kissed Trix on the shoulder. "That I am."

"Uhhh" Syrus said, his face turning red.

"Welcome to the dorm, Evan," Bishop said sitting down. He pointed at Jaden. "But you. If I'm not mistaken, you should be wearing yellow right now. What happened?"

Jaden chuckled. "Meh, I turned them down. I like it here. I mean sure, the Ra Yellows have a sweet lodge, but it doesn't have the view or you guys."

"Not me," said Trix. "The moment I rank up, I'm out of here."

Evan heard footsteps coming from down the path in front of their living quarters. Someone was marching along quite sternly. A girl dressed in a tank top and torn denim cutoffs.

"Oh! Hey!" Evan called. He got up and chased after her. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Wait up!"

"Elizabeth? THE Elizabeth?" Kyros said

"Ugh, no wonder it got so cold," said Trix.

Evan continued to chase after her. "Elizabeth!" he called again.

His sister finally turned. "What the hell do you want?' she asked.

Evan ignored her response and showed her his new coat of arms. "Look. I passed my field exam. I ranked up. What do you think?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "Is that supposed to impress me?"

"Ouch," said Jaden.

"But, Elizabeth, I've gotten so much better. I have."

Elizabeth snorted in disgust as though someone had presented her with a pile of garbage. She shook her head and walked on.

"Why do you have to be this way? Come on, Elizabeth. I worked hard for this promotion."

"I don't care. Go away and leave me alone, Evan."

Evan was paralyzed by those words."But...but I thought you'd be proud."

"Proud!? It doesn't matter how shiny your coat of arms is. You're still in Slifer. You're still nothing but a third-rate duelist. You're nothing to be proud about. Now get lost."

"But..."

"Screw you bitch!" Trix shouted. "God, what's your deal?"

Elizabeth didn't listen and continued to walk away.

"Hey wait a minute!" someone shouted. Andre came running from the woods towards Elizabeth. "Hey, what's your deal?" he asked. "Come on! I know you're sour about your loss against that destiny dork but that's no excuse to take it out on your brother."

"Andre, wait," Evan said. "Just let her go."

"No, I'm not going anywhere. Not until she gives you an apology. Listen, I have no tolerance for bullies, especially when they're picking on their siblings. That just makes this whole thing a lot worse. Just because you're in Obelisk and he's in Slifer doesn't change the fact that he's the better person here. And you wanna know something else? He might be the better duelist and that scares you, doesn't it? Doesn't it?"

Elizabeth just glared at Andre with her cold, crystal blue eyes. She scoffed and walked away.

"You can't stand the fact that Aster Phoenix proved you're not as good as people said you were, can you?"

Elizabeth suddenly froze in her tracks. Even from where they stood, the boys noticed a big tear rolling down her cheek.

"Can't handle the truth, can you? For one who acts so cold and defiant, you sure are fragile, Elizabeth. Prove me wrong in a duel! What do you say?"

"Andre, stop," Kyros said stepping up in front of him. "You don't know who you're picking a fight with here. Just because Aster Phoenix beat her doesn't mean she's not tough enough to tangle with him. She made it pretty far in the Industrial Illusions Cup. She was in the top ten, remember?"

"So what? It still isn't the top. She's not as good as she hoped. All that support. All that sponsorship. Gone. Just like that, all your dreams crumbled. That's why you came here to Duel Academy, huh? Well, how do you feel about your skills now? Come on! Or are you afraid that I'm right."

Elizabeth slowly turned. "It's not often that I go slumming. If you want to duel, fine. But mention Aster Phoenix around me again and I'm kicking your ass with my fists. Got it?"

She activated an Obelisk Blue D-Pad, and her holographic sword-shaped blade formed in front of her.

"Oooo, I'm shaking in my boots. Now here's the deal. I win, you apologize to your brother. And not just any apology. You look at him in the eyes and tell him you're sorry and that you love him."

"Ugh, I'd rather surrender my rarest card. But if those are your terms, so be it."

Evan whimpered sadly. Kyros patted him on the shoulder to calm him down. Even he thought that was a horrible thing to say. Was this girl so cold-hearted? She cared more about losing her cards than showing compassion for her own family. He had never seen anything like this.

Andre's duel disk finished opening up and he was all set. "Let's do this. It's time to duel, Elizabeth!"

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

Andre examined his hand. "Okay, I activate Double Summon. Now I summon Queen's Knight and King's Knight. And when they're on the field together, I can special summon Jack's Knight. Now, I will sacrifice them so I can summon Legendary Maju Garzett! And his attack points are the combined total of the monsters I used to tribute summon him for a combined total of 5000! Next, I set a card face-down and end my turn."

My Magic Cylinder will give her quite a surprise if she even thinks about attacking me.

**Turn 2**

"Hmph. Is that all? An overpowered brute? You Slifers never cease to amaze me. First, I activate the spell, Graceful charity. Next, I activate Chaos Space. I discard Armageddon Knight to add Chaos Valkyria to my hand. Now, I'll banish Armageddon Knight to special summon Chaos Valkyria. Then, I summon Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn. And I'll tune him with Chaos Valkyria. Synchro Summon! Chaos Ruler the Chaotic Demonic Dragon!"

Andre shielded his eyes from a bright light that consumed the field. When he looked up, he saw a black dragon towering behind Elizabeth. He had red spikes on his legs and his wings were blue fading into purple at the ends. He had a black iron halo behind him and a crown of red and black horns on his head.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"Chaos Ruler's effect activates. He allows me to excavate the top five cards of my deck. And if one of those cards happens to be a Light or Dark monster, I can add it to my hand and the rest get sent to my graveyard." She picked up the five cards and examined them. "Ah, beautiful. Just the card I need. I'll add it to my hand and the rest, as I said before, will be discarded. Now, I activate the field spell, Chaos Zone."

A portal to a world of strange gateways opened up above Elizabeth.

"Now, I'll banish a Light and Dark monster from my graveyard to special summon Chaos Daedalus!"

From the portal emerged a long serpent decorated with green and red orbs slithered over the field and roared. It flew in circles above Elizabeth, snarling and flashing its sharp teeth as if they were swords. Its orbs glowed luminously in the dark, almost lighting up the dark forest around them.

**ATK/2600 DEF/1500**

"Oh, don't plan on targeting my monsters with your face down cards. Daedalus will protect all of my Light and Dark monsters from your card effects so long as my field spell is out in play. Finally, I'll use Valkyria's effect to send Rokket Tracer to the graveyard. Then, I'll banish a Light and Dark monster to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End."

"Woah!" shouted Trix. "That's one of the rarest cards in the game!"

The dragon flew down from the portal and landed with a loud boom that shook the ground. The trees shook from its wingbeat, birds flew away, making it seem like the whole world was cowering in fear of the horrible beast. It reared its head up and fired a geyser of flames from its mouth, lighting up the night with sparkling, gold-colored flames. The ocean wind made his mane of long, reddish-brown hair sway left and right. The moonlight turned his platinum armor into an eerie metallic periwinkle color. Smoke slithered from between his teeth as he snarled like an alligator.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"I'm not done with you yet. I have just enough monsters left for one more special guest. Chaos Dragon Levianeer!"

"This girl is wicked-scary dude!" Chumley said with a shiver.

"All those dragons in just one turn!" Trix breathed. "Wow!"

The Chaos Dragon's glowing patterns on his chest and wings could be seen up in the sky. It let out a terrifying shrieking roar, flying around the battlefield before landing behind Elizabeth, causing her tank top to sway violently over her bust, and her hair whipped around like a cape of gold.

She brushed a few strands of hair off her face with her fingertips and smiled, sending a chill up Andre's spine. "And since I banished both a Light and a Dark from my graveyard, Levianeer can destroy your Legendary Maju Garzett!"

Levianeer shot a blue beam at Andre's monster. The monster screeched in agony and then 'BOOM!' he was gone. All That was left of him was a charred crater. Andre was helpless. The next thing he knew, Elizabeth commanded all her dragons to attack. He tried activating his Magic Cylinder card, but it was being negated. Daedalus was protecting all her monsters from it. This was it. Andre crossed his arms over his face and prepared for impact. He felt as though a giant had punched him, sending him flying across the dirt road. He smacked the ground hard on his back and rolled to a stop.

All was a blur for a moment. Then when his vision became clear, he saw Elizabeth walking away.

_**Chazz** _

Chazz shined his light through the dense vegetation of the mountain. It was a long and hazardous trek, but he finally made it to the top and started digging until he excavated a wooden box. He gave a heavy sigh and picked it up.

"I know I said I didn't need you anymore. But...I was wrong. I was wrong about everything."

He opened the box and picked up a card.

"I'm sorry. Please. Fight with me again...Light and Darkness Dragon."


	14. Lord of the Thunder Gods

**Alice**

The weekend had arrived at last, and to enjoy their time away from school, Alice and the others decided to spend their Saturday in the city of North Point. Finally dressed in their casual garments, they felt relieved to be freed of their academy uniforms, except for Enora, who wore her Red Arrows attire like it was the only thing she had. Their outing around the city didn't last long. Around a quarter past noon, the sky was darkened by thick, towering, black clouds that unleashed a heavy torrent across the island.

So they took off into a coffee shop at the pier to wait out the storm. Alice sure didn't mind the stop. The coffee shop had fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies on the counter for a meager price. She couldn't help but purchase three of them all to herself. She was wearing denim overalls over a short crop-top and pink sneakers. For Alice, the clothes gave her such a fresh feeling. A feeling of liberation. As eloquent as it was, she had grown tired of her academy uniform. It felt good to be wearing something different for a change.

"I knew there was something about that Elizabeth girl I didn't like," said Alexis, feeling a tad horrified to hear from Trix about how she destroyed the so-called Slifer Prodigy. "Really? Four powerful monsters in a single turn? Damn. Now that's something."

"She summoned them like they were nothing," Trix replied. "I can't believe she and Evan are related! He's so nice and she's so…so…"

"Don't be so hard on her," Enora said, after sipping her coffee. "Her loss at the Industrial Illusions Cup was such a devastating blow for her and her career as a young pro duelist. All her dreams were crushed after that loss. Everyone who cheered her on and supported her quickly turned tail and abandoned her. Even her parents turned cruel towards her."

"I guess I can't blame her for wanting to be so distant," Jasmine said, stirring her spoon around her cup of strong, sweet tea. She blew on it to cool it down.

"Still, it doesn't justify treating your little brother like crap," Alexis said.

"You know Zane isn't very loving towards his brother, right?" said Mindy. "He's equally as cold to Syrus as Elizabeth is to Evan, but you still find yourself talking to him and hanging out with him."

Alexis sighed and placed her cheek on her palm. The leather of her slim hooded jacket stretched and groaned with her movements. "I mean…but…that's different."

"How?"

"Look, I know Zane can be a little stone-cold, especially towards his brother, but it's not because he hates him like Enora hates her little brother. Zane wants him to quit because he knows the game isn't for him. He wants him to venture into other things. Syrus is a nice kid, but his dueling…ugh. I didn't know what to think when I saw those 'Roid' monsters of his the other day at the field exam. He barely won that match."

"So?" Mindy said. "You've seen me play with the Melffly monster deck before. I've won lots of times with those. There are some pretty stupid-looking cards out there, but they can kick some butt when played right."

"They're stupid-looking, but I didn't deny their effectiveness. Like you said, 'when played right' but Syrus didn't know what the hell he was doing out there. Zane is the top duelist in school and a shoo-in for the pro-leagues. I mean, he's already getting sponsorship and is getting fielded by talent scouts from top-tier promotions. Of course, he's not going to want Syrus playing Duel Monsters. Imagine, being at the top of your game and being related to someone who plays like that? It kind of makes him look bad."

"That's cold, Alexis," Alice said.

"But I get where she's coming from," said Enora. "This is more about pride than love or hate. Deep down, I'm sure there's a love for his brother underneath that edge-lord exterior of his."

"Ha, ha, ha," Alexis said sarcastically.

The bell above the door to the coffee shop jingled. Tina stepped inside, water dripping from her cowgirl hat. "Sorry, I'm late," she said, taking it off.

"Late?" Trix said. "We called you down here an hour ago."

"I know I just had my hands tied...literally."

"What?" Alice exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Nothing. It was just a joke. Don't worry about it, really."

"If you insist," Enora said. "But I'll be keeping my eye on you, Tina. Blake is not a gentleman by any sort. So please be careful."

Someone else came inside the shop.

"Need some help?" asked one of the baristas.

"No, I've got it, thank you," said Farrah, wheeling someone inside. Her brother, Mustafa, who was injured during the raid in the abandoned dorm.

"Hello," said Alexis. "You must be Farrah's brother."

"Yes, yes, hello, everyone. So pleased to meet you."

"Everyone, this is Mustafa. My brother. He operates in Campus Security."

"Hello!"

"Hi!"

"How are you?"

Mustafa grinned. "Oh, Farrah, you've wheeled me in to a giant wall of rejection right here."

The girls laughed.

"Har, har, har," Farrah said, setting her coat down next to Enora. "Want anything, big brother?"

"Yeah, how about a duel? I heard your teammates are some of the best."

"Oh, brother? Now? In this rain?"

"Why not? Come on. I've always wanted to watch the duels, but my job in CAMP-SEC has kept me so busy."

"Actually, there's a covered arena in the park," said Alexis. "We can duel there."

Mustafa let out a delightful laugh. "Oh, thank you! That will be great. I've always wanted to watch you duel."

And so they got up and walked out into the rain towards the arena Alexis spoke of. It was located right by the pier and though it was close to the water, it was shielded by a dome of glass and steel that looked like a lotus. After they registered, the girls assembled pairs to play in. In the first round, it was Farrah vs Tina.

"Y'all ready to get your butt kicked in front of your brother, Farrah?" Tina asked.

"Ha! If you think I'm going to go down as easily as Alice, you've got another thing coming. Let's duel."

"Yes, let's!" Tina said. "You go on first."

"All right. I activate Graceful Charity. Now I discard two cards and draw three. Oh, I am just too good. I set three cards face-down and play Monster Reborn to bring back Mystical Knight of Jackal!"

"Wow! Cool!" Mustafa said when the hologram of the jackal-headed knight materialized on the field in Solid Vision. "Look at the detail on that thing. Those holograms produce the odor too, right?"

"That's right," Alice answered. She sniffed the air. "Ugh, it smells like pomegranate that's been left out in the sun."

"Amazing, I understand your mother designs these things. How do the odors get reproduced."

"It's only for big arenas like this one, I'm afraid. Seto Kaiba wanted the odor technology to be produced in Duel Disks, but let's face it, there's not enough room for all that. But somewhere in arenas like this one, there's a room filled with tanks containing all sorts of scented oils. A computer is linked to the Duel Disk and sends information on the monster to the tanks. They can make a different variety of smells from thousands of combinations of the oils."

"Oof, all that for a card game?"

"You'd be amazed how far Kaiba Corp can go to make the game feel real," said Farrah. "All right, Tina. I end my turn."

"Okay, now it's time to bring in the hurt. Stomp your opponent or get stomped yourself. That's what Rex Raptor always says."

"I can't believe you follow that loser."

"Loser? Before Duelist Kingdom he was one of the most respected duelists in the world. He's won regional tournaments and intercontinental cups. More than I can say for you, doll face." She winked and clicked. "All right. I summon Souleating Oviraptor!"

When the phantasmagoric creature was rendered, Mustafa went stiff as a board. His lips trembled and his eyes widened like saucers. Souleating Oviraptor hissed and began to stomp towards him. Mustafa let out a series of blood-curdling screams. He writhed in his chair, backing away to get away from the creature.

"Calm down!" cried Alexis. "Calm down, it's just a hologram."

The dinosaur snapped its beak and screeched.

"What are you doing!" shouted Farrah. "Stop it!"

"I'm not doing this!" Tina shouted.

The hologram got closer and closer to Mustafa. And then his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He keeled backward, falling out of his wheelchair. Tina looked at the dinosaur. It looked right back at her. It clicked its beak. Tina then heard delightful clucking coming from the back of its throat. It was laughing. It laughed at what it had done to Mustafa, then it vanished.

Farrah ran to her brother. "Help! Somebody help! My brother's in trouble!"

An elderly gentleman and his wife rushed towards them. The man was a doctor on vacation in the city. He knelt beside Mustafa and felt his neck.

"Is he all right?" Farrah asked.

The gentleman pressed his fingers against Mustafa's neck again. He looked up at her and shook his head. "Oh...I'm sorry, honey. He's….he's gone."

Farrah's lips trembled. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Oh my God!" crooned Alexis, covering her open mouth with her hands.

"Mustafa…" babbled Farrah. She ran her fingers down his face. "Big brother….come back. Come back."

Tina stood where she was. She was as still as a statue but then collapsed on her knees seconds later. All eyes were on her as though she were the one who killed Mustafa.

"NOOOO!" Farrah shouted, cradling Mustafa in her arms. "NOOOOO!"

* * *

**Evan**

"Hey, great duel the other day, Evan," said a Ra Yellow student passing by him and walking his girlfriend out in the rain.

"Oh, thanks," Evan said, leaning against a pillar under the shade of the ceiling outside.

Slifer Silver. He still couldn't believe he made it that far. Well, it wasn't really far in terms of ranking, but for a duelist with very little confidence as Evan, it was a major accomplishment. He looked at his new coat of arms and polished it for the millionth time. Now he could live by the coast with Jaden, Syrus, and the others. If he continued to work hard, he could probably end the year as a Ra Yellow. Maybe, just maybe, that could possibly get Elizabeth to notice him again. If not, then he would do everything in his power to advance in rank to Obelisk Blue. He was willing to go the distance just to get her to notice him again.

"Hey, you," said a familiar voice.

Evan jumped. Someone was leaning against the pillar beside his. Odd, considering there was no one there a second ago.

"Whoa! Priscilla! Hey! Fancy seeing you again! You're a hard girl to find. Like...like a rare card almost."

Priscilla rolled her eyes. "I've heard that one before," she said. She was wearing an Obelisk Blue uniform, but it was heavily accented in gold.

"Your uniform is quite unique," Evan said. "I haven't seen anything like that before. Wow. Are you a gold-ranked student?"

"Not really," she said, tossing her silky, yellow hair back with her fingers. "I don't belong anywhere, to be honest."

"So you're not a student?"

"I could be," Priscilla giggled, biting her lower lip. "Or maybe not."

"So mysterious," Evan whispered.

"Oooo," Priscilla said, wiggling her fingers. Her gold bracelet jingled. "Hey, I saw your field exam the other day. You were so, so, great! Congratulations!"

"Oh, yeah! Really? You thought I was great?"

"Well, I suppose you have the cards I gave you to thank for that. I'm just glad they were able to help you understand your true potential and get away from that Duel Gang."

"Oh…" Evan rubbed the back of his head. "You heard of that huh?"

"Heard about it? I saw you join them. And I know what you've been doing for them, too, mister. There's something you oughtta know. Those Melffy panties you swiped in the locker room for your initiation. Well...those were my favorite."

Evan recoiled a few paces. "Oh, God! You...You saw that! I...I...I'm sorry. I didn't want to steal anything from anybody. I swear."

"But you did so anyway. Seriously, you know better than that."

Evan's head dropped down. "I know, I know, stupid move. But I was just so desperate to get better. I guess I must have been beyond hope if I thought joining those goons was going to help me."

Priscilla gave a warm smile. "Well, no harm done. And it seems you've learned your lesson when Zane kicked your ass in that match the other day."

"Oh yeah, had to bring that up! But yeah, he taught me a valuable lesson. No matter how many cards I steal, it won't make me a true duelist. I have to duel with honor, just like he does. I'm curious. If you knew what I was doing, why didn't you tell anyone about it?"

"Because you would get expelled if caught. And call me crazy, but I think this place is a lot more interesting with you that without you."

"Cool! You...you really mean that?"

"Uh-huh. You've got a lot of potential in you, bud. I would have hated to see it get wasted. Undergarments can get replaced but blooming talent. Hmm, that's hard to come by, especially in a place like this. And I'm not gonna lie but I like you, Evan."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And because you've evolved not only as a duelist but a person as well, I decided to give you this."

She opened the pouch hanging on the back of her white belt.

"Use it well."

"Oh man, thanks. Wow, he's so powerful but...but he looks a little complicated to summon. Seriously? I don't know if I can play this."

"It's not so bad once you understand how to bring him out."

Once Evan held the card and read it, he smiled. He felt warm and then the sun came out. Bright, glowing, rays shot out of the black clouds and lit up the island with radiant light.

"Hey, look at that," said Priscilla. "The sun is out."

"Yeah," said Evan. "So, uh, Priscilla, are you doing anything today?"

"You asking me out, little guy?"

"Oh no, I mean that...well...I just thought!"

"Look! Over there!" shouted Zack.

"Oh no, Boris's little brother!"

"And it looks like he's got company," Priscilla said, seeing him followed by six Slifers from the swamp dorm.

"It's her! The girl with the rare cards!"

Evan and Priscilla soon found themselves surrounded. "You!" Zack said. "Every time we get assigned to something important, you're around. Get away from the girl if you know what's good for you. She's coming with us. My brother has important business to discuss with her involving that big-ass binder of cards she has."

"And who the hell said I have to go anywhere with you?" Priscilla asked.

"No one, but if you give us any trouble, then we're going to have to escort you to him by force."

Priscilla smirked. "You know, I can't wait for the day when someone around here whips Campus Security into shape. That time is coming soon thanks to Enora and the school council. They've brought the attention of all the wrongdoings around here to Seto Kaiba himself."

"She has?" Zack said with a gulp.

"Yes. And he is most displeased about it. Chancellor Sheppard got an earful from him a few nights ago. With the new reformations about to take place, Campus Security is finally going to do what they're paid to do. Pretty soon, you dumbasses are going to find yourselves out of a job. There won't be any more Duel Gangs. You'll have to earn your grade and your cards just like everybody else. He wants the names of all the students involved with this civil war going on. It's fine for dorms to be competitive and, perhaps, a little prejudice towards one another, but you and many others have taken it a tad too far. So be a good little boy and skedaddle while the getting is good."

Zack was shocked that this was about to take place, but he was still, remarkably, unphased. "So CAMP-SEC is finally going to mobilize, eh? Well, that reform hasn't been signed yet. So until then, you will do as I tell you. You have a big collection of precious cards on you. And my brother wants them! We're going to use those cards to make the Slifer Red dorm the most dominant one on the island. We know you've been giving cards to Evan. He was the worst duelist in the gang and now look at him. He's climbing through the ranks and beating some pretty tough customers."

"Even you," Priscilla sneered.

"Arrgh, yeah, he even got the best of me, too. That goes to show what a few powerful cards can do for your deck."

"Evan didn't get to where he is because I gave him a few fancy cards. It's because he's talented enough to use them. I can give you all the rare cards in the world and they'll do you no good unless you know how to use them."

"Blah, blah, blah. Shut up and hand over your binder, now! Or things are going to get ugly."

"For you, honey, it's way too late for that."

"Oooooh," hooted the other Slifer.

"Shut up!" Zack shouted at them. "I challenge you to a duel, Priscilla! For your binder of rare cards!"

"I don't have a deck."

"A likely story. Come on! Let's duel."

"Hold it!" said Evan. "I'll duel for her!"

"You?"

"Yeah. If I win, you leave us alone. If I lose, you get her binder."

Priscilla nodded. "Oh, Evan, how sweet. I trust you, buddy. Show him how it's done."

She removed her backpack and took out the prize. A giant, thick, binder with a cover of solid gold with flowery engravings. There must have been a hundred pages in there. She opened it up to a page she had bookmarked for cards from the Gold Series.

"WOAH!" Zack, Evan, and the other Slifers gasped out loud.

SNAP! She shut the binder and held it in her arms. "Well, go on. Play."

"You bet!" said Zack. "I snatched myself a really rare card that's perfect for my dragon deck. When I summon it, Evan, you're going down!"

They turned on their Duel Disks.

**LP 4000**

"DUEL!"

**Turn 1**

"I'll start first!" said Zack. "Heh, heh, heh. Your binder is as good as ours, Priscilla. I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 2**

"My turn!" said Evan. "Draw! I activate Double Summon, this card lets me get an additional Normal Summon this turn. Then, I summon Valkyrian Knight! But he won't stick around, cuz he's gonna make way for my buddy, Tenmataitei!"

The knight vanished and then an armored rider took his place. He was armored in sturdy steel, colored white, gold, and black armor with a red cape waving like a flag behind him. He rode a black and white winged-horse whose armor matched that of its rider.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1000**

"And since you've got no monsters, you're wide open for a direct attack! Attack him, Tenmataitei!"

"Evan, wait!" Priscilla shouted.

But it was too late. The horseman's winged steed galloped toward Zack, who activated a spell called Scapegoat. Suddenly, four colorful fairies that looked like sheep appeared in front of him. A red one took the hit, saving Zack's Life Points from the direct attack.

"Thought it was going to be that easy, huh?" Zack laughed.

Evan waited for his warrior to return to his side of the field. The wings of the horse created a fierce wind that made his jacket flap in the air.

"You may have protected yourself, for now, Zack, but don't think a few little sheep are going to save you from me."

**Turn 3**

"Little sheep? Ha! Who says they're sheep? Thanks to my trap card, DNA Surgery, these little sheep will now turn into three little dragons!"

The DNA Surgery card turned monsters on the field into a specific type. The sheep tokens transformed into cute and cuddly dragons with gold horns.

"Now, I activate the spell card, Polymerization! Prepare to witness the strangest monster in my deck, Evan! Not even Priscilla's cards can save you from its wrath. Now, I fuse my sheep tokens with Alexandrite Dragon and Infernal Dragon to create the mystical, powerful, Five-Headed Dragon!"

The sky darkened again. An F-5 tornado formed right over the field and made landfall in front of Zack, who was laughing like a maniac. Evan held his arms up over his face and Priscilla squealed, clutching onto her binder for dear life.

When the wind died down, Evan looked up in horror seeing one of the biggest monsters he had ever seen in his whole life. It was almost as tall as the main tower of the academy and its wings stretched half the length of a football field. It had five heads, each one of them representing a different element. One head was made of fire, the second looked like a sea-serpent to represent water, the third one was dark with burning red eyes; embodying darkness, the fourth was as white as a cloud, representing wind, and the fifth and final head was made of metal to represent the element of earth. They shared a massive body with brilliant gold scales and gleaming white claws.

**ATK/5000 DEF/5000**

"And don't think your trap is going to save you, Evan! I activate Heavy Storm! Now all our back row cards are destroyed!"

"Oh no!" Evan shouted.

He again covered his eyes to protect them from the fierce wind caused by the spell card. His Dimensional Portal trap shattered like glass. But he paid little attention to that. The Five-Headed Dragon. He had never faced anything like that before.

"Not good. Definitely not good."

"You bet it's not good! I told you my monster would be the end of you, Evan! Watch what he can do!"

"Evan!" Andre shouted, running down the path towards the duel. "Woah! Five-Headed Dragon! No way!"

"Hey, aren't you're that guy Alice beat the other day?" said Evan.

"Yeah, but I don't think you're going to be so lucky here, man. That thing's got you cornered."

"Don't doubt him," said Priscilla. "My friend knows what he's doing."

"You sure about that?" Andre asked.

"Yeah. Watch and learn."

"If you say so. Come on, Evan. Slay that dragon!"

"Aw, what a nice audience I've got," said Zack. "Perfect. I'd hate for Go, Five-Headed Dragon! Attack his horseman!"

The five heads combined their attacks, creating a beam of gold and bright green, which formed into a double-helix. The blast struck the field, blasting the monster to oblivion and creating a small mushroom cloud. Evan flew a few feet and landed on his back.

**Evan - 1400 LP**

"What was that you were saying?" Andre asked.

"Evan!" Priscilla gasped. "Are you all right?"

Evan struggled to get up, grunting as he rose from the ground. "Ow — uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, Priscilla. He's not going to win your binder. He won't! I draw!"

**Turn 4**

"I activate the spell card, The Shallow Grave. Now, we can both summon a monster from our graveyard in face-up defense position (Anime Effect! Don't chew me up!). Return, Valkyrian Knight!"

"And I will call upon my Alexandrite Dragon! Fool. What do you plan to do by giving me more monsters to pummel you with?"

"Your arrogance is just astounding," said Evan. "I summon Flash Knight!"

Evan's glowing warrior appeared from out of a doorway to a realm of light and justice. He jumped over Evan and landed in front of him.

"Now, I Overlay him and Valkyrian Knight to Xyz Summon, Number 44: Sky Pegasus!"

"Hey, that's his ace, right?" Andre asked.

Priscilla's iridescent purple eyes sparkled when she stared at the beautiful mechanical stallion. It came down from the storm clouds surrounded by a beam of glimmering light. When it touched the ground, the storm clouds once again covered the light, shrouding the field in darkness.

"No. No, you haven't seen Evan's ace yet."

"Aww, is your little pony supposed to scare me, Evan? I have plenty of Life Points to use to negate your monster's effect."

"I know. But I'm not aiming to destroy your dragon with my Sky Pegasus. Instead, I'm going to attack your Alexandrite Dragon!"

Sky Pegasus reared back on its back legs, neighed, and galloped towards the jeweled dragon, smashing it with its hooves.

"That ends my battle phase," Evan croaked.

Zack laughed at him. "Oh man, has my dragon clouded your mind so badly you'd waste your turn just like that. How pathe — what?"

Sky Pegasus started to glow and the Overlay network opened above it.

"Ha, I knew what I was doing," Evan boasted. "When an Xyz Monster I control successfully makes an attack this turn, I'm allowed to Xyz Summon this monster from my Extra Deck. Your Five-Headed Dragon is impressive. He's pretty cool; I can't wait to get my hands on one someday. But let me introduce you to my monster. Negalogia AA-Zeus!"

"Yes!" Priscilla cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

"What is that?" asked one of Zack's henchmen.

A bright light pierced through the storm clouds, causing them to disperse and clear the skies once again. Shining down from the heavens was a gigantic, heavenly Mech. It was so massive that it towered over the Five-Headed Dragon even.

**ATK/3000 DEF/3000**

"He's impressive, but my Five-Headed Dragon still overpowers him by 2000 points. Your monster changes nothing."

"Oh no? Then watch this. I remove two Xyz Materials from AA-Zeus to activate his special ability. Now, he will destroy all other cards on the field! Your dragon is history!"

"What! This can't be!"

Andre whistled. "Wow. Now that's a monster."

"Attack points aren't everything in a game like this," said Priscilla. "Until you realize that, you'll be a mediocre duelist for the rest of your life."

"She's right," Evan said. "Negalogia AA-Zeus, destroy his dragon now!"

The mech slowly rose up into the air and opened its palm, activating a powerful ion cannon embedded inside of it. It released a burst of purple energy at the Five-Headed Dragon, destroying it and leaving Zack's field empty.

"I end my turn," said Evan. "Your move."

"I...I can still win this! Draw!"

Gulp!

A Tri-Horned Dragon. A Level 8 monster. He had nothing to defend himself with.

"Nothing, eh?" Evan sneered. "Too bad. I summon Familiar Knight, who will strike you first."

**ATK/1200**

The knight raised his sword and struck Zack in the chest. Finally, Negolagia AA-Zeus fired laser beams from its glowing blue eyes and dealt the final blow, winning Evan the Duel.

"YES!" Evan jumped. "I did it!"

"Oh no!"

"You okay, boss?"

"Aw, man, Zack lost to Evan again!"

Andre balled his fists. "Wow! Way to go Evan!"

Evan watched them walk away, Zack licking his wounds, looking back at Evan as if telling him that their feud was far from over.

Andre patted Evan's back. "Way to go, man! You did it! You sure know how to use those Xyz Summons, huh?"

Evan chuckled. "Well, I'm no expert. It's actually really easy when you get used to them."

"Did you learn all that yourself?"

"Oh no. I had some big help. Thanks, Priscilla," Evan said walking forward and looking up at the clear blue sky. "I owe you so much. You were right. All I had to do was believe in myself to get the win. The Heart of the Cards. Just like Yugi said. You know...my sister used to believe in the Heart of the Cards. She…"

He turned. Priscilla was gone.

"Huh? Where did she go?"

Andre looked around. "Weird. She was right here a moment ago."

Evan looked at AA-Zeus, smiled, and laughed. "No worries. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of her yet."

* * *

**Alice**

"Thank you," Zane said, taking two coffees from the vendor. He walked to Alexis and Alice, sitting together on a bench in the park. The street lamps and their string lights lit the darkness as did the lit-up pathways that led to the academy.

Both girls took their drinks reluctantly. Alice was shaking like a rattlesnake's tail.

"Oh God," Alexis breathed. "The way he screamed...the horror in his eyes."

"What happened?" Alice asked. She couldn't keep her eyes off Zane. Though shaken, she couldn't help but admire his hooded leather jacket and tight jeans. He looked rather dashing.

"He was at the abandoned dorm," said Alexis. "Something happened to him there. I just know it. Well, Zane? Still believe nothing weird is going on around here?"

Zane narrowed his eyes at her. "There's a logical explanation for what happened to Farrah's brother. There have been dozens of reports of Solid Vision Technology causing damage to people with severe heart conditions. The monsters are just too real for them. They believe they're actually real and go into shock. It happened to my father once when I attended my first junior league Duel Monsters tournament. He didn't expect the monsters to be so life-like and panicked when they attacked. He had a heart attack. He's fine, but he's never going to a live event like that again."

He took a drink of his own beverage. "I will admit something traumatic happened up there in the abandoned dorm. But there's nothing paranormal about it. Soldiers experience those things in combat, there's nothing unusual about that."

"That doesn't explain why he freaked out when he saw Tina's monster, Zane!" Alexis yelled. "What have I been telling you all this time. That monster is the same one I've been seeing in my dreams. You, too, right, Alice?"

Alice nodded.

"You're sure of this?" Zane asked her.

Alice nodded again.

"Hmm. Both of you have dreams of the same monster. Maybe there is something going on after all."

Alexis was about to speak, but Zane held up his hand to shut her up. "However, that does not mean you should go to the abandoned dorm, Alexis. And I don't want to hear anything more on the subject. Trust me, after what happened in there, security will be tight. You will get caught. You will be expelled. And you will NEVER hear from me again."

Alexis hung her head. "All right. All right."

They heard a commotion coming from the fountain in the central plaza at the park.

"Hey, what's that?" Alice asked.

"Stay here," Zane said. He sprinted towards a gathering of Obelisk Blues. They were surrounding Tina, who was cowering against a tree.

"Is that Tina?" Alexis shouted. She ran after Zane. Alice followed her.

"What the hell is going on here?" Zane shouted.

Blake turned around, wrapping a lock of his elegant green hair around his finger. "Nothing that concerns you, Kaiser. Run along now and let us deal with this."

"The this you're referring to is my friend, asshole!" Alice shouted. "Tina, get away from there. Come on."

"She will do no such thing," said Margaret. "This girl obeys us."

"Obeys?" said Zane. "You say that like she's some kind of a dog!"

"She is to some extent," Margaret said, fixing her glasses.

"Why you —" Alexis wanted to slap her, but two tall Obelisks blocked her way like a wall.

"Ah, ah, ah, Miss Rhodes. Let's not do anything hasty. Trust me. This girl is trouble. BIG trouble. You'd do well to stay as far away from her as possible for your own good."

"Is that a threat?" Alexis snarled.

"No, it's a warning. For your own well being."

"What does she mean by that?" Zane asked.

"It means that it is none of your business," said Blake. "Let's not make a scene, shall we?"

"What's going on, Tina?" Zane yelled. "What did you do? Why are you letting them treat you like this?"

"Because I deserve it," Tina wept. "Please, you guys, don't...don't get involved. Please. It's for your own good. Just stay away from me."

"Do as she says," said Blake. "Now. I really don't want to have to get nasty with you lot."

"What can you do?" shouted Alice. "You don't scare me!"

"What can I do?" Blake laughed. "Girl, you seriously don't know who I am, do you? My family paid lots of money to help build this academy. For your uniforms, too. It would be a shame if my father pulled funding from that little squad of yours."

Alexis placed her hand on Alice's chest, backing her away from them. "He's right."

Blake's smile grew more and more poisonous by the second. "I thought so. Come, Tina. We'll finish this back at the lodge."

"Yes, yes, sir," Tina said getting up. "I'm so sorry, guys."

"Ah, ah, not another word!" snapped Blake. "Do hurry along." He slapped her in the butt to make her go faster.

"HEY!" shouted Alexis.

Zane balled his fist and took a step forward. "Touch her like that in front of me again and I'll —"

"You'll do what?" Blake said, going face-to-face with Zane. "You're not going to be Kaiser for long, you know that? Soon, I'll be the one ruling this school. And I can't wait to make these peasants my subjects. Especially your pretty friends here."

"Hey, asshole!" Andre shouted, running towards them with Evan.

"That was uncalled for!" Evan yelled. "Leave her alone!"

"Oh, look, dogs from Slifer Red. Do hurry back to your shacks. It's dinner time. I believe Banner is ready to feed you the scraps he found in the garbage today."

His friends laughed.

"You bastard!" Andre yelled. "You can insult us all you want. But I draw the line at girls getting picked on by people like you! If it weren't for all that money you have, you'd be nothing. You're a scared little poser who uses his daddy's power to get what he wants. You're pathetic."

"At least I have a daddy who can give me power. Ha! Look at you, all bark and no bite."

"Oh, yeah? How about you put your money where your mouth is?" He held up his duel disk.

"HA HA! Look, Blake, that Slifer Slacker wants to duel you!"

"No, no no, if he wants to play with the big boys, I'll be more than happy to oblige. I accept your challenge. I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity for Zane to see what he's up against when it's time for us to duel."

They both got into positions under the street light.

**LP 4000**

"Oh, this will be great fun."

Andre drew his opening hand. "Yeah, but we're not going to play without raising some stakes."

Blake rolled his eyes. "Oh, do let me guess. If I lose I let Tina go right?"

"Yeah."

"Ha! You wannabe heroes are so cliche!"

"Excuse me!" shouted Tina. "You can't just jump in and duel in my name, you don't know me!"

"No, but I know you don't deserve to be pushed around by a guy like him. You deserve better than him."

"And I suppose you're the one she deserves?" Margaret said, to which Andre quieted down.

The Blues all laughed at him.

"Blake, hurry and finish this, please. Ugh, this moron's self-righteousness is making me sick."

"Oh, indeed," Blake obliged. "I'll let you go first."

"Thanks, I guess. Here goes."

**Turn 1**

"All right, you Obelisk Blue punk! I summon Queen's Knight in attack mode. Next, I equip her with Legendary Sword, boosting her attack to eighteen-hundred. Next, I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**Turn 2**

Blake chuckled. "Oh, is that all? Very well. First, I discard Thunder Dragon from my hand and I also activate the effect of Thunder Dragondark, which allows me to add another Thunder Dragondark to my hand. And thanks to Thunder Dragon, I can add two more thunder dragons to my hand. Now, I discard Thunder Dragonhawk to resurrect Thunder Dragondark from my graveyard."

The wind blew and storm clouds rolled over their playing field. Thunder rumbled in thick black columns and from them emerged a snake-like dragon colored purple with glowing patterns on its belly.

**ATK/1600 DEF/1500**

"Oh, wow," Andre said with a smile. "Such a dramatic entrance for such a small fry."

"You think my dragon is weak, Andre?"

"Yeah. I mean look at my Queen's Knight. She can easily slay that poor excuse for an eel. Her attack points are higher than..."

"I can add, you fool! Bah! Let's see if you're that cocky after I fusion summon this beast. Thunder Dragondark now becomes the mighty Thunder Dragon Colossus!"

The Thunder Dragon started growing bigger and bigger and sprouted long gray, bat-like wings. And he developed glowing lightning bolt-shaped patterns on each section of his belly.

**ATK/2600 DEF/2400**

"Not so weak anymore, is it?"

"How can that be?" shouted Andre. "He's a fusion monster! You didn't even activate Polymerization."

Alexis scoffed. "Just saying that means you have no idea what you're up against, kid. When a Thunder Dragon activates its effect, Blake can tribute a Thunder Dragon on his field to fusion summon his Colossus."

"Smart and beautiful," Blake complimented. "I set two cards face-down and attack your Queen's Knight."

"You fell for my trap card! Hallowed Life Barrier. By discarding a card from my hand, I take no damage from your attacks and my monsters can't be destroyed."

Thunder Dragon Colossus shot of beam of lightning towards the Queen's Knight, but she was defended by a blue shield aura that stopped the attack. Thunder Dragon Colossus snapped his jaws shut and shook his head, frustrated that his attack didn't work.

Blake twirled a lock of his green hair around his finger. "Hmm. Nice save. Well, I end my turn."

**Turn 3**

Andre chuckled confidently. "Check it out! I summon King's Knight. And when he's played along with Queen's Knight, I can summon Jack's Knight. And now I have just the right amount of monsters to end this duel and win Tina's freedom."

"Freedom?" Blake and his friends laughed. Even Tina chuckled. "For God's sake, boy, you act like she's locked away in a tower. Oh, someone please give an award to the drama queen over here."

"l'll be the end of you, Blake. I've got lots of powerful monsters in my deck just itching to take you down! and here he is! I sacrifice my knights to summon Maju Kaiser Garzett!"

The knights were consumed by a fierce whirlwind and then shattered like glass. Taking their place was perhaps the second strongest monster in Andre's deck. It absorbed their attack points for a total of 5000. Wasting no time, Andre commanded his monster to attack. Maju Kaiser Garzett drew his boney gold sword. He ran towards the dragon, jumped, and sliced it vertically on the chest. The impact created a massive explosion, causing everyone to recoil and shield their faces from the dust and debris that was kicked up by the solid-vision holograms. Blake's jacket violently flapped in the blast as he stood still, grinning. His Life Points plummeted rapidly to 1600 but his Thunder Dragon Colossus remained on the field.

"What happened?" Andre yelled. "That was a direct hit! My Maju Kaiser Garzett should have destroyed your Thunder Dragon Colossus!"

"My dragon has a very special ability, slacker. By banishing a Thunder monster from my graveyard, my Thunder Dragon is prevented from being destroyed. Nice try."

Andre laughed. "Nice try? Have you forgotten what I just summoned? My Maju Kaiser Garzett is ready to slay any dragon you summon. This duel is over as well as your hold over Tina. What gives you the right to treat her like your property? She's a human being. She deserves to be free, especially from people like you. She's a good person."

"Fuck off!" shouted Tina. "You don't know a thing about me!"

"I know you don't deserve to be treated like this? Come on, Tina, I heard you're a tough girl and a great duelist. What are you doing reducing yourself to being the lapdog for someone like him? Come on, I know you can break free from him."

"Piss off you Slifer Slacker!" Tina shouted. "Maybe I like being with him. Maybe I like him because he's a better duelist than you."

"That's not true," said Andre. "You're miserable; I can tell. Come on. You deserve real friends. You deserve a real man, too. Someone who will love you."

Tina's cheeks blushed volcanic red. She was furious. "Can you kick this loser's ass, Blake? He's getting on my nerves."

"What the hell is the matter with you, Tina?" Alexis yelled. "You're seriously going to side with someone like him? I thought you were so much better than that."

Tina crossed her arms over her chest and blinked rapidly. "Alexis...you don't know anything about me. I've done...I've done some awful things."

"Care to elaborate?" Alice asked.

"It's none of your business," said Blake. "Tina has 'fixed' her mistakes to a certain degree. And she's mine now. There's nothing any of you can do about it. Especially not some dork from Slifer Red who thinks he's the big hero in this little story. Ha! What makes you think you have any chance in this duel? Or any chance trying to get into Tina's heart? That's what this is all about isn't it?"

Andre ground his teeth.

"Why?" Tina asked softly. "What reason do you have for feeling this way?"

Blake chuckled softly then burst out laughing. "Ha! Feelings? What feelings? He's just looking for a trophy wife. A booty call if you will. He craves your looks and your money. Don't worry, darling, I'll make sure he never bothers you again."

**Turn 4**

"Draw! I play the spell card, Thunder Dragon Fusion! Now I shuffle Thunder Dragon Colossus, the Thunder Dragondark, which I banished, and Thunder Dragon in my graveyard back into the deck to fusion summon the all-powerful, Thunder Dragon Titan!"

Thunder Dragon and Thunder Dragondark flew out of clouds and used an electrical aura to conduct a fusion between themselves and the Thunder Dragon Colossus on the field. The regular Thunder Dragon hovered above the other two monsters and absorbed their life forces. He started growing longer, thicker, and he developed two extra heads and massive wings. His horns and claws were solid gold just like the ornamental designs on his chest.

**ATK/3200 DEF/3200**

"Oh man!" shouted Andre. "That thing is huge!"

"And it gets better. I activate the effect of my Thunder Dragondark in my hand. Ah, that will also trigger the effect of my Thunder Dragon Titan. When a Thunder monster activates its effect, he allows me to destroy a card on the field. Say goodbye to your Maju Kaiser Garzett!"

"Oh no! My monster!"

"You had no chance," said Tina. "Just forget about me, Slifer."

Thunder Dragon Titan summoned a tornado that hovered right above Maju Kaiser Garzett. Then, lightning bolts struck the ground from the center of the funnel, creating cindering craters. Then, the lightning struck Andre's monster and zapped him into pieces leaving him wide open for a direct attack.

"She's right, Slifer Slacker. She's not for you. So get those ridiculous ideas out of your head. I activate my trap, Thunder Dragon's Hundred Thunders! This lets me resurrect Thunder Dragondark from my graveyard. And since a Thunder monster had recently activated its effect, I'm allowed to tribute him and fusion summon, Thunder Dragon Colossus!"

Thunder Dragondark morphed its body to become the beast. It was back and it was ready to finish Andre off. Together, it and Thunder Dragon Titan conjured up a vortex of lightning that slithered down from the tornado that was conjured earlier. It crashed on top of Andre dealing more than enough damage to send his Life Points plummeting to zero.

Andre grunted weakly as smoke rose out of his body. He fell on his knees and fell on the dirt with a smack.

"ANDRE!" Evan shouted, running to aid his friend.

Blake shrugged his shoulders and snapped his fingers, causing the holograms to disappear. "I hope you watched our duel closely, Zane. This is what will happen to you when we duel. And that duel will come very soon, I assure you. Soon I will be Kaiser of this academy!"

Zane said nothing. He just stood where he was, narrowing his eyes, and forcing his lips to remain shut.

"Hey, Andre, speak to me!" Evan said.

Andre groaned and sat up.

"Aw, yeah! You're alive!"

"I'm fine," Andre grunted, turning away so as not to look at him. "I lost again...what am I doing wrong?"

"I heard about his loss to Elizabeth," Blake laughed. "That's two nights in a row that he gets the crap beaten out of him." He chuckled cruelly. "Well, hopefully, he learned his lesson and thinks twice before he plays hero again. Enjoy your reign while it lasts, Zane. Your crown will soon be mine. Come along, Tina. It's time for your bath."

"Yes, sir," Tina said reluctantly. "I'm so sorry, everyone."

"Just go," said Alexis. "When you have the backbone to stick up for yourself, then you can speak to me!"

Tina sobbed. "Alexis…"

"Come on, Alice. It's time for bed. Let's get out of here." Alexis said goodnight to Zane and walked off into the night.

Alice had no choice. Alexis was right. Something was not right with that girl. And that Souleating Oviraptor has something to do with it. It was at that moment that Alice swore that one way or another, she would get to the bottom of this.

By any. Means. Necessary.


	15. Dusk

_**Alexis** _

* * *

All she heard was the sound of her boots crunching against the pebbled path that led to the abandoned dorm. It was crazy coming out at this hour, especially when the sun was so close to going down. The jungles were full of hungry beasts including tigers and bears. There were even reports of Thylacine, otherwise known as Tasmanian Tigers, who were thought to be long extinct. But, even though the sun was setting, there was still enough light for her to return to the dock and take the ferry back to the underwater palace. She stopped in front of the gate, which was sealed with a padlock and chains. A strict notice board was placed right above it, warning students with the threat of expulsion if they ever trespassed.

As much as she would have liked to rip through those gates and look around for clues, she knew the consequences if she got caught. And she had a feeling she was being watched by someone….or something. The thought of the drones that flew over the island also discouraged her from going any farther. She knew they were somewhere up there, keeping a closer watch on the area around the dorm. Alexis sighed, kissed the rose she held in her hand and placed it gently in front of the gate.

"Rest easy, brother. Wherever you are."

* * *

_**The Slifer Silver Dorm** _

Evan leaned closer to the candlelight to make his face seem ghoulish as he told his scary story for the game they were playing. "And then…my uncle picked up the grenade and...BOOM!"

"AAAAAAA!" Syrus and Chumley screamed. They sat in a booth in the cafeteria over by the window overlooking the sea. The lights were off and they had but one candle to light the dark. Evan was telling them the story of his Uncle Roger's Phantom Arm, which he lost in a great battle during the Vietnam War.

"It blasted his arm right out of its socket! His platoon spent three hours looking for that damn arm, but it was never to be found. It wasn't until he died that weird things started happening at night in the houses of my relatives. My cousin Natalie said she heard something crawling around in the attic right over her room. Like this."

He tapped his fingers wildly over the table, making them look like spider legs. Syrus babbled in horror, not liking the way his fingers moved. It was creepy.

"And then, my aunt claimed that her cutlery and many of her pots and pans started to go missing. And you know what? My Uncle Roger hated my aunt's cooking. We believe that all the creepy stuff that happened was the ghost of my uncle's arm. My grandma then blessed the houses and the activity stopped. But we still fear the phantom arm. Some of my relatives say that it's still crawling around to this day, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Mmmm-rrrrow!" A green hand smacked onto Syrus's arm causing him to scream wildly.

"THE PHANTOM ARM!" he shouted. "IT'S GOT ME! HELP!"

Chumley ran across the room hoping to get away from the phantom. But then he saw Bishop hanging over their seat with a green rubber glove.

"That was NOT cool!" shouted Syrus. "Aww crap! I need new pants!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Now I'll never get any sleep tonight," Syrus whined again. "First Jaden's story about hearing strange sounds coming from his cards and now a phantom arm that's probably following Evan around? You've got to be kidding me! There's only so much a person can take!"

"Hello, children," Banner said from behind Bishop, alarming him. Pharoah yawned in Banner's arms.

"Oh, Professor," Bishop said, placing his hand on his chest. "You kind of startled me there."

"Oh, are you telling ghost stories?" Banner asked. "Well, have I got one for you. Have any of you heard the story of the abandoned dorm?"

Syrus tapped his finger over his lip. "You know, I saw a strange building once in the fjord. It was all fenced up."

"Ah, yes. It used to be a special lodge reserved for only the most elite students on the island. But one night, they had a big, big, party. Dozens and dozens of students attended the festivities, but no one heard from them since. The weekend had gone by and there was still no sign of the students. So, CAMP-SEC went up to the lodge to investigate. Low and behold, all of the students were gone. There were no bodies to be found, but the walls and the floors were covered in blood."

"OKAY! YOU CAN STOP NOW!" Chumley cried.

"What happened to them?" Syrus asked with a gulp.

"Well, that's the mystery. No one knows what happened to students. Even the authorities had to be called in to investigate the dorm. But there were no clues. No bodies. No suspect. No nothing. It was as if a terrible force had devoured them all and vanished back to whatever hellish domain in came from."

"No! No! No!" Chumley cried. "Enough! Enough!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Jaden. "You know, I heard this island is a major hotspot for pirates and all sorts of bandits. Perhaps they broke into the dorm and massacred the students or something."

"Of course, that's the logical explanation, but one that's highly improbable. We have some of the best security forces in the world fielding military-grade software. They can pick up bandits for miles around the academy. These must have been some terribly clever bandits to elude security like that."

"Have you forgotten about the caves that honeycomb under the island, professor?" Bishop asked. "Lots of pirates have been apprehended around here before. Many of them have admitted to using the caves to get here."

Banner chuckled. "Of course, of course. There's always a reasonable explanation for everything, children. Well, I must take this as a sign for me to go home. Don't stay up too late, boys. There's a quiz tomorrow and you need to be well-rested."

"Yes, professor."

"Good night professor."

"See you, Banner."

"Later."

When the door shut, Jaden looked at Syrus and gave him that look that always spelled trouble.

"Hey, Sye, do you remember where exactly that building was?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so."

"Good, then you're going to lead the way for us tomorrow."

"US!" shouted Evan.

"Wait a sec! What do you mean us?" Chumley cried out.

"It'll be fun! Come on, guys! We could sure use a little adventure, right?"

Bishop shook his head and put his hands in his pockets. "You guys can enjoy your jolly little holiday. As for me, I've got some personal stuff to take care of tomorrow. Later."

He walked outside to make a phone call and noticed a shadowy figure leaning against the window to the cafeteria underneath their dormitories. The figure was muttering something to himself and then he started cackling.

"Hey!" he said.

The figure shrieked and jumped into the moonlight.

"Well, well, well, Dr. Crowler. Just what do you think you're doing here in our dorm?"

"I don't answer to you, you Slifer Slacker! Hmph. If I were you, I'd show a little respect."

"Funny how you show so much disdain for us yet love to hang around our dorm. Just what are you doing all the way out here anyway?"

"None of your business, boy!" Crowler sulked away.

Bishop waited until Crowler vanished up the trail to take out his phone. "Hello, you called?" He paced back and forth. "Where are they?... All right, thanks. I owe you one. No, I'm not going alone. I know just the person to come along with me on such a venture. All right. See you tomorrow."

* * *

_**Andre** _

_I can't believe I let that Blake douchebag beat me last night!_

Andre let out a loud yell and slumped on his bed. He lay there staring at the ceiling while having flashbacks of the match. As much as he tried to use the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore outside his window to calm him, Blake's sneer and the sound of his Thunder Dragons filled his heart with rage.

_I had the duel in the palm of my hand! I had him! I had him! And Tina's freedom. It was right in my grasp. All I needed was one more turn. I had the strongest monster on the field, and his Thunder Dragons completely obliterated him! I hate those things. It's just amazing how easily they can get summoned. Just when I think I beat one of his Thunder Dragon fusions, he summons another one and resurrects the one I beat before._

_ARRRGH! It's not fair! How can I beat a guy who controls monsters that powerful? Man. This is a guy who can make Zane nervous. Huh. Could a guy like Zane even get nervous? I bet he faces challenges like this on a daily basis and doesn't break a sweat. Stupid Zane. He thinks he's so cool being named Kaiser and all that. What a stupid name. I'll show them._

There was a knock at his door. "Come in," Andre said. Evan came inside holding an uneaten chicken pot pie in his hands.

"Hey, we missed you at dinner. I brought you some pie."

"I'm not hungry," Andre said, slumping back in his bed.

"You're still upset about that match last night, huh?"

"Oh, really, you think?"

Evan set the pie on his desk and sat down. "Look, I know it's not my place to critique, but what the hell were you expecting? He's a Gold-Ranked Obelisk Blue Student and is ranked 10th in the whole school. You really didn't think you had a chance against someone like him, did you?"

"Rankings are just bullshit! They don't mean anything. It's the skill that matters."

Evan scratched his head. "Uh...no offense, but that was one of the most retarded statements I ever heard. How do you think they got those rankings? You know, not everyone around here bought their way to the top. The Obelisk Blues are some of the best players around and you need to learn to respect that."

"Yeah, right. They're all a bunch of spoiled rich punks who used their parent's money to get them the best cards in the game so they can have an edge against everyone else."

"That's not true!" shouted Evan. "Yeah, a lot of them have connections, but many of them like Alexis, Alice, Zane, my sister, hell, even Blake, worked hard to be where they are. They're in Obelisk Blue because they earned it, not because they have a bunch of shiny cards in their decks. I used to believe that myself until I met Priscilla. She taught me that a card's rarity doesn't mean anything unless you know how to use it. You think because you have some ultra-rare beat stick that you can tango with the likes of Elizabeth and Blake? Seriously walking around with that mindset is never going to grant you victory."

"Hey, watch your mouth! I have a pretty strong deck!"

"Let me see it?" Evan said, holding out his palm.

"Sure. Just don't steal anything you like. I have a lot of rare cards in that deck."

Evan ignored him and flipped through the cards.

"Andre, for real? Nobody in the pro leagues can win with this deck?"

"What do you mean?"

"Seriously? It's full of equip-spell cards."

"That's right. I've got the best spells around to boost my monster's attack points. That's Axe of Despair, which increases a monster's attack by 1000. And that's Riryoku; that card can halve the attack of a monster and add those points to one of mine. If I had that card in my duel with Blake, it would have been over for him. Oh, and that's United We Stand, see that?"

"Uh-huh."

"Give that to a monster and it's attack increases by 800 for every other monster you have, including itself. If I were to give that to my supped up Maju Garzett at 5000 and resurrected one of my monsters, his attack can climb to the top of the charts. Instant kill right there."

"Yeah, until your opponent zaps him away with Raigeki or Lightning Storm. Hell, lots of cards these days have built-in Raigekis in them. Blake's Thunder Dragon for example. Look what he did to your beast."

"Pfft, he got lucky. But I'll get him next time."

"Come on, let's have a quick match."

"I'll destroy you. Besides, it's late. Duels after hours are prohibited."

"Solid Vision Duels, yes, but not regular ones. Come on. It'll be quick."

"Sure. Whatever. Hey, let's make this interesting. The loser has to fork over their rarest card to the winner."

"What?"

"Yeah. It'll be just like Battle City. What do you say? I'll take that Gundam-looking robot you summoned against Boris's brother."

"Negalogia AA-Zeus?" Evan asked timidly.

"That's the one. But if you win, I give you my Legendary Maju Garzett."

Evan accepted. He sat on one end of the bed and Andre on the other. He flattened the creases on his bed sheets and then drew.

"It's already over for you, Evan. I activate Double Summon. Now here's Queen's Knight and King's Knight. And as you know, they can bring out Jack's knight. I tribute them to summon Legendary Maju Garzette. Now I play Card of Sanctity, which lets me draw until I have six cards. But since you have a full hand, it won't work for you. Now I play Monster Reborn to bring back my King's Knight. And here's the card I told you about. United We Stand. Because I have two monsters on the field, Legendary Maju Garzett's attack increases to 6600! But that's not all. Here's Axe of Despair, increasing his attack by another 1000 so that's 7600. Oh, but wait. Now I pay 800 Life Points to activate Premature Burial and bring back Queen's Knight, which boosts him to 8400. And since my Life Points are lower than yours, I use Megamorph to double Legendary Maju Garzett's attack points. Read it and weep, Evan. That's 16,800 attack points. Now, I give my last card, Malevolent Nuzzler to King's Knight. This will boost his attack to 2300. I end my turn. Might as well give up."

Evan sighed. "I'm really disappointed in you, Andre. You're so full of anger. And your lust to get the biggest monster out on the field makes you underestimate your opponent. You spent way too much time beating noobs who think that just because they have a rare card in their deck that they're professionals. I used to be like you. And I never would have gotten where I am if it weren't for my belief in my cards and in myself."

"Huh? You think so?"

"Yes. Watch what I can do. I draw! I activate the Pendulum Scales. Dragoons of Draconia and Dragonox the Empowered Warrior."

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you play with that Pendulum crap, too, Evan."

"Crap? My cards aren't crap."

"Sorry, junior, but that way of summoning is so cheese. It doesn't require any real skill to play."

Evan did his best to keep from shouting. "What the hell would you know about skill, Andre? You think you've got the duel won because you have a giant beater on the field? Attack points aren't everything. Alice didn't seem to teach you your lesson. Neither did my sister, and neither did Blake. So it looks like I'm going to have to drill this into your head. If you want any hopes of rescuing Tina from Blake, you've got to up your game."

"Huh? What would you know about that?"

"I saw the way you stared at her. And don't tell me you don't like her. Nobody just challenges a pro like Blake like that unless it was for something important. Well, Tina's not going to fall from some slacker who plays like it's 2002 back in Battle City."

"You're wrong."

"You sure about that, Andre? I use the scales to Pendulum Summon Flash Knight and Kanan the Swordmistress. Now, I Overlay them to Xyz Summon, Heroic Champion - Excalibur."

"He has only 2000 attack points. But...I have a feeling he has a special ability, right?"

"That's right. I can discard an Xyz Material from my champion and have him gain 2000 attack points."

"Wow! Four thousand attack points. I'm impressed, Evan. But he's still too weak to battle with my Legendary Maju Garzett."

"Who said I'm attacking him? My target is your King's Knight. And now that he has battled, I can Xyz Summon, Negalogia AA-Zeus."

"Oh, no! That card!"

"He's the card you wanted, right? Well, he's not going anywhere. I remove two Xyz Materials from Zeus to destroy all other cards on the field."

Andre was at a loss for words. His entire board was wiped clean thanks to Evan's monster. He drew. It was an equip-spell. Mage Power.

"Oh, shoot. I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

"What did I tell you, Andre? Now, I summon BOXer. And I'll attack you directly."

Andre scratched his head. "Wow. You...you beat me. I guess I owe you a card."

"Keep it. I don't want it. Goodnight, Andre."

Evan picked up his cards and made his way out of the room.

* * *

_**Alice** _

The underwater library of their aquatic palace was quite literally one of the most extraordinary things Alice had ever seen in her life. The walls were made of wood colored in a polished dark chocolate finish and lined with gold accents. A giant portrait of Obelisk the Tormentor hung over the entrance as if guarding the young ladies of his dorm. The shelves, stretching almost fifty feet high, were stacked with more books than Alice could ever dream of reading. The library was usually lit by the bright gold chandeliers and glass sconces mounted on the wall, but the girls had them dimmed down so that only the light of the fire lit up the library. One one side of the library, it was all glass to reveal the reef in the ocean outside. Because it was night time, the world outside was pitch-black, except for what the lights around the windows could reveal. A few schools of fish passed by as well as a Thresher Shark. The stillness of the library was broken by soft chatter, giggling, and the beautiful call of whales swimming out there in the darkness.

Alice, Alexis, and Enora were doing their homework on their laptops under the light of the lamps built into the table where they sat. It was littered with papers, books, and a few cards. Alice was writing her report on dueling in the middle ages. During the War of the Roses, the members of the Houses of York and Lancaster sometimes settled their disputes with strange duels. They involved deck masters, who would advance in rank and gain magical abilities to aid monsters in battle. And the cards were moved around like chess pieces.

"Does anyone else notice how King Henry kind of looks like Yugi Muto?" Alexis asked, staring at a portrait of the young king in her textbook. Her voice reverberated in the vastness of the library.

There was a grand fireplace at the far end with a lounge where Mindy, Jasmine, Kami, and a young lady named Yui Nagase were having playful duels on the rug in their pajamas. Alyssa was reading a book while lying casually on a red armchair and Kylie was fast asleep on the other one next to her.

"Okay, Mindy, your Melffy's are cute, but that's not going to stop me from taking you down," Yui said.

She was a cute young lady with orange hair tied into a long ponytail that hung from the right side of her head. She was apparelled in a pink shirt over her underwear and pink socks with flowery designs. Her eyelashes were long and fluttery and her lips were glossy pink. She hummed the tune of her favorite song as she examined her cards, wondering what to play next.

"Well, here we go. I summon Tenyi Spirit Adhara. Then, I'll sacrifice it for a Link Summon. Monk Fighter of Tenyi."

"Oooo," the other girls hooted as they looked over Mindy's shoulder.

"Next, I use Vessel for Dragon Cycle. Because Monk Fighter isn't an effect monster, I'm allowed to send a Wyrm from my deck to the graveyard, and then I can add a Tenyi card to my hand. And I'll special summon it since I control no effect monsters. Tenyi Spirit - Ashuna, who I will tribute for another Monk Fighter of Tenyi."

"Oh, another one," said Mindy. "Color me impressed."

"Oh, it gets better. I banish Ashuna from the graveyard to special summon Tenyi Spirit - Vishuda. Then, I banish Adhara to bring Ashuna back into the game from banishment. Next, I tribute Monk Fighter and Vishuda to Link Summon, Shaman of the Tenyi."

"Oh, pretty card," Kami complimented.

"But a nasty effect," said Mindy.

"That's right. I discard a card from my hand to.. "

"Oh no, sorry. Yui, but that ain't happening. From my hand, I will counter your Shaman's effect with the trap card, Infinite Impermanence. I know what happens to Tenyi monsters when she's played."

"Okay, okay, so you stopped one combo. But I've got plenty more. Remember the card I discarded? It's a spell known as Dragon Cycle of Celestial Illusions. I banish it from my graveyard to activate its effect."

"Oh?"

"Yup. And I can add a Tenyi card to my hand. But now, I tribute Monk and Shaman to Link Summon the mighty Berserker of the Tenyi, with an attack power of 3000. With it, I attack your Melffy Rabby."

"Aww," Mindy whined. "You killed my bunny. But I've got scary things in my deck, too. Because you control a monster with more attack points than me, I can special summon this guy from my hand. Zoo King Alpha. And he also has 3000 attack points."

Yui smiled. "Oh, boy, now things are getting interesting."

Meanwhile, back at the table, Alice was having a hard time concentrating on her paper.

"Staring at it isn't going to make it finish," Enora said with a yawn. "Goodness, what time is it?"

"It's a quarter past ten," Alexis replied, still typing the last few sentences of her paper. "We don't have much longer until Helga arrives to kick us out of the library. Please do hurry, Alice. I'd love to be out of here by the time she arrives. Last time I overstayed my welcome, she got my butt good with the crop whip."

"Oh, dear!" Alice gasped. She got back to work at once.

"What were you thinking about?" Enora asked. "It's not like you to just doze off on your homework?"

"Oh, a lot of things," Alice replied with a sigh. "I can't get Mustafa's death out of my head. And now all this stuff with Tina and Blake."

"What's going on?" Enora asked.

"Forget about her," Alexis replied, erasing a mistake she made. "If she wants to get pushed around by that rich dick and his goon squad instead of coming to us to help her with her mistakes, then let her."

"I can't just let her be abused like that," said Alice. She shut her laptop. "I have to tell someone."

"Blake has a family with enough power and money to make that 'someone' stay quiet. You'll have a better chance of going out with your honey bunny, Aster, than stopping anything he does. Even with Enora's and the Prez's new reformation, there's not a whole lot you can do."

"Oh, Enora, there must be something you and Tandy can do to stop this."

"School politics are the same as everyday politics, my sweet. In the end, money always makes the whole thing go round. We can change the way CAMP-SEC functions, that's for sure, but when it comes to individuals like Blake. No. I cannot change it. I can promise you that Tandy and I will not falter or be bribed. Unfortunately, not everyone has a backbone like we do."

"Then we'll have to help Tina myself."

"We? No, You're on your own," said Alexis. She saved her document and closed her laptop. "I'm not helping her one bit."

"Alexis. I know Tina has a lot of skeletons in her closet and hangs with a rough crowd, but there's no need to disavow her like that. She's your teammate."

"Not for long she isn't. She missed two days of practice ever since she started going out with that guy. I have a feeling she's going to miss many more in the coming days. Trust me, Enora, Blake does not want the best for her. She's just a pair of breasts that can talk in his eyes. A party favor for his friends. I will not be playing with someone who degrades herself in that fashion. The sooner you kick her off the team, the better."

Jasmine approached the table. "Say, speaking of Blake, did any of you get a good look at that opponent of his?"

"Andre Neromaki?" Alice asked. "Yeah, what about him?"

Alyssa burst out laughing from her chair. "What was his deal? Why did he foolishly challenge Blake like that?"

"Rumor has it he has googly eyes for Tina Beuregard," said Kami. "Ha! He doesn't have a hope in hell getting her. What a Looo-hoo-hoo-hoo-zer!"

"I'll say," laughed Jasmine. She tapped her phone looking for a funny video. "One of Blake's friends posted this earlier today. Check it out."

There was a video of Andre staring down Thunder Dragon Colossus and Thunder Dragon Titan. The slow and intimidating beat of a familiar song played as the dragons charged up their attack and once Andre was struck by the lightning vortex, the image of him getting fried flashed to a group of African men dancing as they held up a coffin. In no time at all someone memed Andre's misfortune to the Coffin Dance.

Alexis let out a loud laugh and Alice couldn't help but snicker at the way Andre looked when he was being blasted in slow motion.

"Um, I don't know," said Yui. "I think he was kinda cute."

"WHAAAT!" Kami and the others shouted, then assaulted her with pillows.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" she cried. "Help! Help! Mercy!"

"Quiet!" said Alexis. "Or else Helga will come down here."

"She's having coffee in the lounge," said Mindy. "There's no way she can hear us from there."

"LIGHT'S OUT IN FIVE MINUTES! OR I'LL BE DOWN THERE TO KICK YOU OUT MYSELF" Helga shouted from the intercoms.

"How does she bloody do that?" Enora said looking at the ceiling.

The next morning, Alice and Enora made their way to the Obelisk Blue Village to have a talk with Tina. Just as Alexis had predicted, she did not show up for practice. And she was late for the quiz this morning. If her grades dropped, then she would be kicked from the team. That was something Enora did not wish to do. She had grown rather fond of Tina and she was a really good duelist; it would be a travesty to dismiss such a promising addition to the Red Arrows.

They stopped for ice cream then approached the village, which was a heavily gated community on its own island not far from where the campus stood. All Obelisk students from any ranking could live here. The apartment complexes were buildings of glass, limestone, and steel and there were beautiful water fountains at the plaza that could dance to music at night.

They approached the golden gate outside the village and noticed a commotion. Andre from Slifer Red was outside struggling with four Obelisk Blue students who were preventing him from getting inside.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Enora asked.

"Let me in!" shouted Andre. Two big students grabbed him by the arms and held him back. "I just want to see Tina. Tina Beauregard. It's urgent."

"Tina's Blake's girl, ya moron! Even if she wasn't, you still can't come in here. This is Obelisk Blue turf. Now get out of here."

"No! I have to see Tina! Let me in!"

"What's all this?" said a voice that sent Alice chills. It was Blake, safe, and sound behind the gate. He must have recently left the gym, because he was wearing a blue tank top and athletic pants and had a white towel over his neck.

He saw Andre and laughed. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the Slifer from last night." He jerked his fingers towards himself.

Alice and Enora gasped when the two students holding Andre shoved his face against one of the bars with a loud clang.

"You think you're some kind of big hero, hotshot?" Blake said mockingly leaning forward to be face to face with Andre. "Did my Thunder Dragons not teach you your lesson last night? Listen, Slifer Slacker, if you ever show your face around here again, we'll have Campus Security lock you up for a week. Challenge me the way you did last night again, and I'll make sure my Thunder Dragons pummel you with no remorse. And if you ever get within one hundred feet of Tina, I'm going to throw you into the ocean. Do I make myself clear?"

Andre tried to say something but his lips were tightly pressed against the bar.

Blake laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. Get him out of here."

The students laughed as they dragged Andre all the way across the bridge and threw him into a puddle.

"Ah, Enora, so good of you to join us?" Blake said stretching. The gates slowly slid open. "And I see you brought a little friend. Alice, was it? Your sister is Sara Fenix, yes?" Alice said nothing, making Blake chuckle. "You know, I've heard much about your dueling. They say it's somewhat impressive. Not as good as your sister, but it must still be something to get you in a team like the Red Arrows. Care to demonstrate for us back at my place?"

"I think I'll pass," she retorted. "I don't make company with pigs."

"Pigs? Oh, Alice, I'm hurt. You don't even know me."

"But I've seen how you treat Tina. I advise you not to do the same with me."

"Personal space, eh? Ah, well. You'll learn to appreciate me soon enough. Don't tell me you weren't the least bit impressed with my Thunder Dragons."

"You didn't impress me. I can take them on myself with my Sacred Phoenixes."

"Those oversized chickens!" laughed one of Blake's friends. He slapped his knee and laughed with the others.

"Care to prove it?" Blake sneered.

Enora waved her hand. "That won't be necessary."

"Oh, come, now, Enora, you always boast about little Alice. Let's see if she has what it takes to battle my dragons"

Both Alice and Enora stood silent.

"I didn't think so. Ta ta, ladies." He and his entourage returned to their luxury towers.

"I can't believe I breathe the same air as that pompous windbag!" Alice grunted.

"Keep a cool head, little one. When the time is right, we'll get a piece of that guy."

They passed the sliding glass doors of the towers and entered the atrium where hordes of Obelisk Blue girls walked about trying to get to their rooms or making merry in the halls.

"Farrah!" Alice cried out. She ran towards the girl and hugged her. "You okay?"

"No, I'm far from okay, but I'm holding up. Sorry I didn't come to practice today."

"It's completely understandable," said Enora. "I'm so sorry about Mustafa. You know, I've heard some chilling rumors. That Tina scared him on purpose with her hologram."

"They aren't true," Farrah assured her. "I was her opponent. Her hologram acted so...so weird. The way it looked at my brother; it was as if the creature knew who he was. Strange. Anyway, I don't blame Tina for a thing. I don't."

"What do you think happened?" Alice asked.

"My brother experienced some kind of trauma when he was in the dorm conducting the raid with that special unit he serves. Whatever it was, it didn't do his heart any good. I don't think he was ready to see a holographic monster, especially one so real as a Solid Vision one. If anything, I'm the one to blame here. I should have let him rest in the hospital."

Enora rubbed Farrah's shoulder. "Farrah, come now, there's no need to blame yourself for what happened. They just...they happen, what more can I say."

"They can still be prevented though. I could have prevented it from happening. I always had this mindset that my brother was more iron than he was flesh and blood. I always thought he could conquer anything. I guess I overestimated him."

"Farrah, enough. Come on. We're going to see Tina and then we're going to have dinner somewhere in town. Want to come?"

"I'd love to and I was just on my way up to see Tina as well. Come on."

They took the elevator to the top floors of the third tower. From the glass walls of the elevator, Alice could see the academy and most of the island as well as a few facilities dotting the landscape. She saw dragon heads and giant warriors as tall as skyscrapers battling in duels in the forest. A trio of Campus Security helicopters flew by.

"Wow, what an amazing view," Alice said, pressing her hands against the glass. "Oh, I can see our dorm from up here. There's the waterfall and the lake!"

"You live in the aquatic palace?" Farrah said. "Aww, I would have given anything to stay there. You two are so lucky."

The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. They walked down long halls edged with flowing rivers and lined with gold chandeliers. They came across Tina's room. She must have been expecting them because the door was wide open and loud music could be heard.

"Sounds like a party's going on in there," said Enora.

She stepped inside with Alice and Farrah at her heels. When they came into the kitchen they found Tina dancing around to I Touch Myself by Divinyls. She was dancing around in her underwear and a black tank top with the Jurassic Park logo on the front. She held a wooden spoon in her hand, using it as a microphone to entertain a miniature hologram of her Ultimate Tyranno, which was standing on the counter. She pointed at him as she lip synched the lyrics to the song and slid her hand down her leg sensually. She turned and saw her friends. She froze, her eyes widening like saucers.

"Nice panties," said Farrah.

Tina gasped and turned the music off on her phone. "Geez! Haven't you heard of knocking! I had the door bolted up! How the monkey did you guys get in here?"

"The door was wide open!" Alice said. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"The door was open?" Tina yelled. "Fucking Madison! Always leaving the door - I told her to stop doing that like six times!" She walked to the hallway and slammed the door shut. "Fucking bitch, how did I get stuck with her for a roommate."

"Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude," said Enora.

"No, no, no, it's fine," she said, patting Enora's shoulder. "You did nothing wrong. But damn, I've had it with living with these losers."

She went to the laundry room and put on a pair of ripped jeans. "What can I do for you? Can I get you any refreshments?"

"No, we're good," said Enora. "Just wanted to let you know you missed…"

"PRACTICE!" Tina shouted. "Oh, no! Enora, I'm sorry. I totally forgot."

"Just like you forgot last week?" said Alice. "Come on, Tina, we're getting really worried about you."

"Whatever for?" Tina said, going to the fridge to get a soda.

"Hey, where did you get that?" Alice asked, looking at the mini Ultimate Tyranno hologram on the counter.

"Duel Pets," said Tina, searching the kitchen drawers for a bottle opener. "They're new but they're starting to trend like crazy. I just bought mine a leather collar; isn't he cute?" She found the tool and pulled off the cap.

"Oh, I'd love to get one myself," said Farrah.

Enora wanted to go back to the subject of Tina missing out on practice. "Yes, yes, they're cute, but let's not let that deter the fact that your position on the team is shaky, Tina."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'll do better."

"You won't if you keep going out with Blake," said Farrah. "I've heard stories about him that will make your skin crawl. He's not a good man for you, Tina. I know you can do better than that."

"Well, I chose him. Please don't lecture me about this. I know what I'm doing."

"Know what you're doing?" cried Alice. "Tina, Alexis and I saw the way he was manhandling you in the hallways and again the night Blake dueled against that noob from Slifer. It sure doesn't look like you know what you're doing."

"Is he hurting you?" Enora asked. Tina looked away and bit her lip. She remained unresponsive for a while. "Tina, you can talk to me, you know. I'm more than just your captain. I'm your friend. What's going on? You can tell us anything. We want to help you."

"You can't help me. And it's best that you keep as far away from my problems as possible. Lest you want those problems to be yours."

"If it means getting you out of an abusive relationship, I'm willing to do that."

"Me, too!" said Alice.

"And I as well," Farrah said. "Tina, regardless of what anyone says out there, I don't blame you for what happened to my brother. I don't. I really don't. It was an accident. Please, Tina. Did you do something wrong?"

Tina nodded. "A lot of things."

"And Blake must know about them, too. Especially if he's blackmailing you into being in a relationship with him. He's keeping you free of the consequences of your actions so long as you stay with him, right?"

"Look...I appreciate your concern, girls. I really do. It really warms my heart to know I have friends like you. At times, I find myself wondering if I deserve any of you."

"Of course, you do!" said Alice.

"I love you. All of you. So much. I don't want to see any of you get hurt. Especially not you, Alice. Enora, it's with a heavy heart that I request to be dropped from the team."

"What?" Alice gasped.

"Tina…"

"Please. The farther I am from you guys, the better. I can handle Blake. I promise. Things will be better, you'll see."

"If that is what you wish," said Enora. "Come on, girls. Let's go."

Alice sniffed twice and walked away without saying goodbye to Tina.

Farrah looked at Tina and shook her head before following Alice out of the apartment.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing, Tina," Enora said. "You won't get far if you belong to Blake."

"Belong to him? No. It's not him I belong to. I've already made my deal with the devil."

Enora said nothing more and left her. She closed the door behind her and looked for Farrah and Alice, who were both sitting in front of a window.

"This is terrible," Alice said. "I wish there was something we could do."

"There's not much that can be done," said Enora. "If she feels she can handle the situation, then we're just going to have to take her word for it."

Alice's phone buzzed in her bag. "Hey, Alexis."

"Are you still helping Tina?"

"We tried to, but she was of no help. She's stubborn."

"Very stubborn," Enora added.

Alexis chuckled "I didn't expect you would get through to her. But I have an idea. Remember when we first saw her getting beat up in the halls? Boris was there. If I'm not mistaken, Blake rewarded him for giving him 'info' on that Lucas guy who supposedly vanished in the dorms. Somehow his disappearance is connected to Tina. Boris knows it, too. So I'm going to pay him a little visit, see if I can't get him to fess up."

"Great, we'll go with you."

"No, you're too far away and I can't let him out of my sight. I can stop him myself."

"Be careful, Alexis," Farrah said looking over Alice's shoulder. "He and his friends are dangerous. Don't go into their turf alone."

"I can handle them. Trust me, those guys talk a big game but never deliver. When I beat Boris, I'll be sure to fill you in on everything you need to know. See you later."

* * *

_**Alexis** _

She put her phone back in her bag and was ready to confront Boris and his gang in the jungle.

"Going somewhere, Lady Rhodes?" Dedric said approaching her. "I see you're off to gather some info from Boris. I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"I don't care for your approval, Dedric. I can take them on myself."

"I cannot let you do that. As the leader of the Azure Knights, I will have the pleasure of taking him down."

"Just what the hell does your little club do? What's its purpose? Or are you just running around with custom uniforms bought and paid for with your daddy's money just to make yourself look good?"

Dedric sniffed. "You know being snarky isn't very lady-like. Besides, our job is to protect our turf from scumbags like him."

"We have Campus Security for that."

"Yes, but they won't intervene until things get really nasty. Pfft, makes me wonder why we have to pay so much in tuition just to fund them. But I digress, I must defeat Boris and steer him and his gang away from this part of the jungle. A lot of girls use this path to make their way home. Many of them got jumped within the last few days, forced to duel for their rarest cards. I intend to put a stop to that."

"Well, my business with Boris is just as important. I need to get some info out of him."

"Regarding your friend Tina Beureagard, yes? Hmm. If it means helping her escape from Blake's grasp, then I will make sure to help you get the info you need. I must admit, I've had my eyes set on that girl for a long time. It pains me to see someone so beautiful and talented be in the arms of such a brute."

Alexis scoffed. "You like Tina? Get in line. Someone else seems to have a big crush on her, too; big enough to make him challenge Blake in a duel."

Dedric laughed. "Oh, please. What hope does that imbecile think he has with a girl such as Tina? She's way out of his league."

Alexis shrugged. "That didn't stop him from trying. Gotta admire his courage I guess."

"Courage? More like foolishness. Come, come, Boris awaits us."

They didn't have to go far to find them. They had stopped a group of young boys from Ra Yellow and were bullying them to hand over their rarest cards. But when they saw Alexis approaching them alone, they focused all their attention on her.

"Wooo-wee!" shouted one of the Red Crusaders. "Look who we've got here, boys! The Queen of Obelisk Blue herself. Alexis Rhodes."

Upon hearing her name, Boris walked out of his hiding spot in the woods. He told the two Ra Yellow boys to beat it since now they had a much bigger fish to fry.

"Alexis Rhodes," Boris said. "Wow. Your reputation precedes you." He whistled, looking at her from top to bottom. "You are so hot. Are you here to consider joining the group?"

"No. I'm here to get information out of you."

"Regarding?"

"Tina Beauregard. What do you know about her that allowed Blake to have so much leverage over her? It must have been some juicy info to get her to submit to Blake like that. And for him to supply you with that package of rare cards for your pathetic gang."

Boris snigged. "Yeah, I know all about what happened that night his buddy vanished and who was involved. But don't think I won't be telling you anything. Not unless you...do a special favor for me and the boys."

"I had a feeling I would need to get involved," Dedric said, coming out from the trees. "You will tell Miss Rhodes the info she desires now. Lest you wish to contest with me."

"I don't think so! You Obelisk Blues think you can push everyone around, well not me. I'm not budging. My lips are sealed. Of course, maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement."

"I'm listening."

"All right, if you want to get any info out of me, you're going to have to beat me in a duel. Do that, and I'll tell you anything you want about Lucas and Tina. However, if I win…"

"Let me guess, I give you my rarest card."

Boris chuckled. "No. You've got something much more valuable than rare cards. Her."

"Alexis?"

"Yes. If I win, she's mine, no questions asked."

"How can a person be so vile? What must have happened in your childhood to convert you into such a creature? Alexis is not a prize to be won. She's a person!"

"Hey, no booty, no info." Boris and his friends laughed.

"Alexis, I'm sorry. Do I have your consent for this?"

Alexis sighed. "You know, if you were anyone else, I'd say no. But I trust you. And I'm desperate to know how I can help my friends aid their teammate."

"Very well," said Dedric. "If you win this duel, Alexis….ugh, Alexis is yours. But if I win, you not only give Alexis the information she wants, but you and your group must disband. You are to leave this part of the jungle and don't you ever return."

"You seem pretty confident to make the stakes that high," said Boris.

"I can say the same about you. Now, let's duel."

"Don't count on winning, Obelisk! I've got my deck filled with strong cards just gearing to take you down."

**LP 4000**

**Turn 1**

"I'll go first since this is MY jungle! I set two cards face-down and summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo!"

**ATK/800 DEF/400**

The ground behind him burst and a geyser of water shot out, followed by a huge armored fish with two shells hovering behind it.

"I end my turn."

**Turn 2**

"My turn," said Dedric. "First, I activate the spell card, World Legacy Key. Then I set a card face-down and summon Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall in attack mode!"

A holographic purple ring of data formed in front of Dedric. Windows of data and graphs beeped around it and then the ring summoned a mechanical knight in purple and gold armor. He was draped in a cloak colored white on one side and purple on the other and he carried a white javelin with purple glowing patterns.

****

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

"What? How were you able to summon a Level 8 monster on your first turn like that?"

Dedric chuckled and shrugged. "You've never heard of the Mekk-Knights, Boris? They have unique effects that activate depending on how many cards are lined in a column. Take my Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall. When there are two or more cards in the same column, I can special summon him from my hand into that column. Why I have Mekk-Knights that can even move themselves around the board like chess pieces."

"Chess pieces? Weak."

"Weak. No, they are not weak. These cards are beautiful and have rich and fascinating lore behind them. But I doubt a simpleton like you cares about that sort of thing. Cards for you are nothing but tools for power or useless trinkets to help you attain riches. Unless you learn to truly appreciate them, you will never be an Obelisk Blue like me. Better yet, you'll never be a great duelist."

"I don't care for your speeches! Cards are power and you know it! That's why you and the other rich kids stock up on crates like crazy to find the best ones and leave nothing but the scraps for us."

"Even the weakest cards can grant you victory, Boris. But you're right. No more lecturing. I'll never get through to you. I will attack your fish with Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall."

The purple knight raised his javelin, spun it, and lunged for the aquatic Gladiator Beast.

"I don't think so, you Obelisk punk! I activate the spell, Enemy Controller. With this card, I can switch your pathetic knight into defense mode. Chew on that!"

"I end my turn then."

**Turn 3**

"Wow, all that talk and you had nothing to back it up. Wait till you see this. I summon Gladiator Beast Laquari! Then I shuffle him and Gladiator Beast Murmillo back into the deck to fusion summon, Gladiator Beast Essedarii!"

A horn blew from nowhere announcing the coming of the fusion monster. It was a gorilla inside a motorized chariot, wielding a thick spiked club and shield. His armor was bright yellow outlined with white. The gorilla roared and thumped his barrel-like chest with his shield.

**ATK/2500 DEF/1400**

"Attack his Mekk-Knight, my beast!"

The Essedarii roared and zoomed toward Dedric's Mekk-Knight. He raised his club and smashed his head in. The Mekk-Knight's body twitched violently and sparked before it exploded.

"I end my turn. Now I'm one step away from making Alexis mine. Don't worry, babe, you'll learn to appreciate me soon."

Alexis replied by narrowing her eyes and growling from the back of her throat.

**Turn 4**

"Like my Purple Nightfall, I will special summon Mekk-Knight Blue Sky in defense mode."

"And when he's summoned, I can add a Mekk-Knight to my hand. Then I tribute him to summon this monster in defense mode. I end my turn."

**Turn 5**

"Aw, man! This is just too easy! I set a card face-down and summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari!"

He summoned a winged beast with green feathers and covered in silver armor.

**ATK/1600 DEF/800**

"I'll attack your face-down monster with him! Take flight my beast!"

The bird-like Gladiator Beast spread his metallic wings and soared towards Dedric's face-down monster. The monster was revealed. It was an orange Mekk-Knight with two massive shields on its shoulders, which it used to block the Gladiator Beast's attack.

****

**DEF/3000 ATK/800**

**Boris - 2500 LP**

**Dedric - 4000 LP**

"NO!"

"Yes. You've attacked my Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset. A costly mistake. See, you were itching to strike at my Life Points with your best card that you didn't even think about how strong the defensive capabilities of my monster were." Dedric wagged his finger and tsked. "It's no wonder you've been stuck in Slifer Red all these years."

**Turn 6**

"My turn. I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall. Then I'll tribute him and Blue Sky to Link Summon, Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star!"

The new monster he summoned was a giant of silver steel armor. The robotic behemoth just loomed over the field, staring down Boris and his Gladiator Beasts.

****

**ATK/2000 LINK-2**

"I activate Morning Star's effect. I discard a Mekk-Knight and add a World Legacy card to my hand. Next, I flip over my face-down card. The spell, World Legacy Succession! Now, I can special summon a monster from my graveyard and place it in a spot where my Link Monster points to. I choose the first zone. Return, Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall. And because there are more than two cards in these two columns here, I will special summon Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse and Blue Sky!"

"This isn't fair!" shouted Boris.

"Oh, I'm afraid you haven't seen anything yet. I use Blue Sky's effect to add a Mekk-Knight to my hand. Next, I tribute Purple Nightfall, Blue Sky, and Indigo Eclipse to Link Summon Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme!"

The monsters were absorbed into the sky and then beams in all the colors of the rainbow shined down from the clouds, which opened to reveal a giant multi-colored mechanical platform that hovered above them ominously.

**ATK/3000 LINK -3**

Boris was nervous but he was not afraid. No worries. If he even thinks of attacking me, I've got a trap all ready for him. My Wall of Despair will decrease his attacks by 800. It doesn't matter how many of those stupid knights he summons. He doesn't stand a chance.

"Now, for one final Link Summon."

"Huh?"

"I tribute my Mekk-Knights to Link Summon Mekk-Knight Crusadia Astram!"

The two Mekk-Knights vanished and then there stood a handsome blue-haired warrior with a glass sword and glowing blue armor and a white and blue cape waving behind him.

**ATK/3000 LINK -4**

"Now, I will end this duel! Crusadia Astram! Attack! Gladiator Beast Essedarii!"

"I will counter your attack with this trap card! Wall of Despair. This will reduce your monster's attack by 800!"

He waited for the ATK point meter to display Crusadia Astram's attack dropping. It didn't. It rose up to 5500 instead.

"Wait! Hold on! How can this be? Your monster's attack should have gone down!"

"My monster can't be targeted by your trap card, Boris. And, when he attacks a special summoned monster, he gains attack points equal to that monster's attack points."

"NOOOOOO!"

Mekk-Knight Crusadia Astram sliced the gorilla right down the middle. The beast grunted and then broke into a thousand pieces, dealing 3000 damage and ending the match.

"No!" Boris shouted, pounding his fist on the ground. "No! No! I lost!"

Crusadia Astram vanished and Dedric took a few steps forward to confront him. "Well, you lost. Now your group must disband and you will leave this part of the jungle for good. Ah, yes, and you will give Alexis, and me, the info we desire about Lucas and Tina. Odd how one such as you would know anything about that."

Boris started chuckling. "Really? You think just because you beat me that I'm going to submit to your demands?" He got up. "No. You want to act like a chivalrous knight, go ahead, dork. It's your right. But we don't play that game. We take what we want. And we're taking the girl, one way or another."

Alexis and Dedric soon found themselves surrounded.

"I figured as much," said Dedric. "What can one expect from a low-life swamp dweller like you? But, I have friends in high places. Fellas."

He clapped his hands. Obelisk Blues came out of the jungle, duel disks in hand, ready to beat the Red Crusaders into submission.

"You planned this all along huh?" said Alexis.

"Yes. But I did not plan on meeting you here, my dear. Now, I don't know about Boris, but are the rest of you going to be stubborn? Are you going to break your word as well?"

The Obelisk Blues activated the duel disks. The Red Crusaders cried out in fear and ran away, leaving Boris alone.

Dedric picked him up by the collar of his blazer and held close to his face.

"Now, you're going to tell us everything you know. Come along, Boris. You and I are going to have a little chat."

* * *

_**Alice** _

The sun was setting behind the mountains and Alice decided to go into the jungle for a swim. Alexis once recommended a beautiful pool underneath a waterfall that was rarely used and was safe from Duel Gangs. It was a long trek from the school grounds to the pool, and by the time she found it, her feet were sore and she was sweating so much, her clothes were drenched. Perfect. She was all alone. Alice looked around one last time before taking off her clothes and stepping in. The water was brisk and clear and made her skin get dotted in goosebumps. She swam towards the waterfall and showered underneath it, sliding her hands down her scalp and even taking a few gulps from the waterfall. To her surprise, the water was sweet in flavor.

But just as she was about to discover the land of milk and honey…

"Hello, Princess." Someone was in the waterfall with her.

AAAAAH! AAAAAH! AAAAAAH!

Alice waded away, tripping and falling in the water. "Who's there!?"

"You know this pool is occupied, right?" the figure said behind the waterfall. Bishop stepped out.

"OH GOD!" Alice shrieked. "Y-y-you're naked!"

"So are you."

"Oh!" Alice dashed for a rock and hid behind it. She crossed her arms over her breasts, which were already concealed under the water. "How much did you see?"

"I didn't see anything, honey, that's the honest truth. How much did you see?"

"Fuck off! I didn't know you were here."

Bishop waded to some rocks and leaned against them. "Well, it pays to take a closer look at your surroundings. Then again, I guess I shouldn't have left my stuff in the tall grass, so my bad. Well, now that you're here, why don't we have a talk?"

"You want to talk now! For goodness sakes, this is so undignified."

"Then get out of the water and go get dressed."

"F-f-fine. But turn around. And for goodness sake, don't look at me!"

"Scout's honor," Bishop said, turning around to face the mossy rocks. He heard Alice splashing back to shore and climbing out. "You know you're a hard girl to find. I've been looking for you."

"Whatever for?" Alice said, struggling to dry herself down with her tank top.

"I'm asking for a favor."

"And what makes you think I owe you any favors?"

"You don't. But seeing as you're a noble soul looking out for her friends, I figured you'd be the right person to help me out."

"Of all the noble souls on this island, why did you choose me? Is it because Sara Fenix is my sister?"

"It has nothing to do with that. I just admire you, is all. You show great courage against difficult odds, you'll never sell yourself out, and you have this knack of getting yourself into trouble for those you love. And I think you're cute."

"Har, har," Alice said, putting on her bra. "Just what do you want me to do?"

"Duel."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. That's all."

"And you can't duel yourself?"

"I'm a Slifer, sweetness. I'm afraid my skills are no match for the person I must contend with."

"What's going on?" She put on her skirt and socks, then her blazer which she left unbuttoned. "I-I'm dressed. Your turn."

"Can I expect the same courtesy from her ladyship?" Bishop asked.

Alice turned around. "Yes. Go, hurry up before I change my mind."

"Ah, so I do have your attention. All right. One moment."

Alice waited for Bishop to dress. He said he was done but when she turned she saw that he was only half done. All he had on were his trousers but he was shirtless. No doubt he did that on purpose to show off his well-built form.

"I'm not impressed."

"Didn't want you to be. Now, here's the deal. There's a rare breed of wolf on this island. The legendary Duel Island Gold Wolf. Sadly, they've been driven to extinction. Save for this one. He's a friend of mine. I call him Adeon."

Bishop handed Alice his phone to show him a picture of the wolf.

"Oh!" Alice squealed with delight. "He's just a puppy! Oh, look at him, he's so small."

"And he's the last of his kind. His parents were killed by poachers who hunt rare game on this island. These guys are an elusive bunch who use submarines to traverse a secret network of tunnels under the island. They use the cover of night to go on their hunts. By morning, no one even knows they were here."

"How do you know this?"

"I know how to gather intel. I've been following these groups for days and got a few bits of info thanks to my friend in CAMP-SEC, who interrogated some of these guys personally. I gave them the info on the poachers and they're set to raid their campsite tonight. But I've got to beat them there first."

"Why?"

"Because the jarheads assured me they are going to seize everything from the poachers once they conduct the raid, including my wolf. I tried to convince them to let me keep him, but they won't. If they take Adeon, they're going to send him off to who knows where and be studied like a labrat. He doesn't need that. He's just a pup. And I'm all he's got in the world. Will you help me, Alice?"

* * *

_**Crowler** _

"He's running late," Crowler said. He was leaning against the lighthouse in the pier waiting and waiting for the mercenary he hired. Just then, an eerie fog enveloped the pier. Loud and heavy footsteps resonated from the fog. Crowler noticed a giant figure walking towards him, carrying a metal briefcase from which the fog came from. He wore an iron mask and a black hat and overcoat.

"So you're the one they call Titan the Shadow Duelist," Crowler said.

"I am called a great deal many things," said Titan. "Now, what's the job?"

"Ah, straight to the point, I like that. I want you to scare a duelist named Jaden Yuki. And you better make it good. I want you to frighten him so intensely that he leaves the island for good. Up to the challenge?"

"Of course, I never back down from a challenge. Just make sure you uphold your end of the bargain. Three months of your salary."

Crowler merely nodded at once. "Yes, if you insist. It's a small price to pay to get Jaden Yuki out of this school. Do hurry, he and his friends are on their way to the destination right now."

"I'll be there. And I promise you this. I'll make sure the little runt wishes he had never been born."


End file.
